Date and Pistachio Cake (No Refined Sugar)
Description
This tender date and pistachio cake is naturally sweetened with dates, with no refined sugar, yet you would never guess! The dates lend a lovely caramel-like sweetness, while pistachios add a delightful crunch. Easy to make and perfect for everything from afternoon tea to Mother's Day, it is a special treat worth sharing!
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lbs 4 oz Medjool dates
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 cups semolina
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
- 3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup almond milk or your favorite milk
- 1 ½ cups raw pistachios
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup toasted or white sesame seeds divided
- ¼ cup tahini or more as needed
- ¼ cup orange blossom water
- 100 g / 3.5 oz butter at room temperature (optional, but recommended)
For the glaze:
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons organic honey or maple syrup, carob molasses, or date molasses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Spread the raw shelled pistachios in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until fragrant and slightly golden. Watch closely to avoid burning, then let them cool down completely.
- Pull open the dates and remove the pits by hand. Transfer them to a deep bowl, sprinkle with the baking soda, and pour in the 2 cups of boiling water, ensuring the dates are fully submerged. Set aside until the mixture cools down completely.
- Using a sharp knife, roughly chop the toasted pistachios.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: semolina, all-purpose flour, almond flour, unsweetened coconut, chopped pistachios (reserve a small amount for garnish), baking powder, and half of the sesame seeds. Stir well to thoroughly combine.
- Blend the dates using an immersion blender until creamy and smooth.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and date puree together until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange blossom water, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Flavor the mixture with a few drops of vanilla extract.
- Gently add the almond milk (or your favorite milk) and continue beating just until incorporated into the batter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and use a spatula to mix until just combined. The batter yields a large volume, so divide it evenly between two greased cake ring pans.
- Grease two cake ring pans with the tahini, using a pastry brush to spread it evenly all over the surface. This will prevent the cake from sticking while adding a wonderful nutty flavor. Coat the greased pans with the remaining sesame seeds, ensuring they adhere well to the bottom and sides.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake ring pans. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking, make the glaze: in a small bowl, stir the tahini and honey together until smooth.
- Invert the cakes one at a time onto serving platters. You can keep one plain without a glaze, and drizzle the glaze over the top of the second cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish both cakes with the remaining chopped pistachios.
Video
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