DATE NUT CAKE

There's no time to bake this week, but I wanted to share some recipes to start off the holiday season. I'd also love to hear from you. If you have a family favorite, a traditional seasonal dish or story to tell, feel free to share!
We baked a lot of goodies at Thanksgiving. Sarah and her cousin, Emily, baked two pumpkin pies from one big can of pumpkin. I opened a small can to make a quick pumpkin roll that morning and, not wanting to waste what pumpkin was left, we made a batch of cookies with frosting. Lots of pumpkin, but it was delicious! One tradition that was missing was the date nut cake. My grandmother's German background influenced many family food traditions, this one included. The Amish have a date nut cake recipe that's more pudding-like. This one is a moist cake with a warm sauce. I didn't make date nut cake this Thanksgiving, but it was traditionally served at both Thanksgiving and Christmas for as long as I can remember.

DATE NUT CAKE

Put 1 cup of chopped dates in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and add 1 cup of hot water. Let stand.
Cream together 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg. Mix together 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Alternate adding the flour and date mixtures to the creamed butter and mix well. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Bake at 350° in a greased and floured tube or bundt pan until it's done (time will vary depending on the pan size).
Cool completely.

SAUCE FOR DATE NUT CAKE

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil 1 cup hot water and 3/4 cup brown sugar. Mix a cornstarch paste with a little cornstarch and water. Add to boiling pan and stir until thickened. (Don't make it too thick.) Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Serve warm over date nut cake.


Stay tuned for more holiday recipes and food traditions and be sure to send me yours!