I recieved the best gift for my wedding shower 7 years ago: a cookbook with recipes from both my family member’s and my husband’s. I love that I have family favorites from both sides in one, convient place and cook from it often. One of the many recipes that my mother-in-law, Val, graced me with is her famous Applesauce Date Cake. This is the cake my husband remembers as his birthday cake of his younger years and one of his absoutely favorite recipes that he looks forward to in the fall. So, when his birthday rolls around each year, it feels only natural that I make his mother’s classic and delicious Applesauce Date Cake to celebrate my favorite person.
This cake a true taste of fall with just the right amount of sweetness. It is dense but moist and can be cooked as either a bundt cake or in a traditional cake pan.
Vegan option, dairy-free, soy-free
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil + additional for greasing
2 egg (sub 2 flax eggs for vegan option)
2 1/4 cups hot applesauce
1 cup chopped pitted dates
3/4 cup coarsley chopped walnuts
Grease & flour a 9 x 9 x 1 3/4 baking pan or bundt pan. Put fir 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil, eggs (flax eggs), and 1 cup of applesauce. Beat at a low speed until all ingredients are combined. At medium speed, beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and guiding the mixture into the beaters. Add remaining applesauce, dates, and walnuts. Beat 1 minute longer. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes for 9 x 9 x 1 3/4 pan for 40 minutes for bundt pan, or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, cool throughly on wire rack.
Sweet Cashew Cream Glaze
This an adapation of The Plant Strong Vegan‘s Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Filling for her Pumpkin Oatmeal Creme Pies and my addition to the tradition of the cake.
1 cup raw cashew, soaked overnight
1 cup almond/coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 coconut sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
In a blender or food processor, run coconut surgar until it is finely ground. Pour into a small dish and put aside. Drain and rinse cashews. Put in blender and pulse for about a minute. Add vanilla, milk, sugar, and maple syrup. Chill 1 hour before spooning over cooled cake. Once the cake is glazed, chill 2 hours before serving.
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