Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ C butter
  • 2 ½ C sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 ¼ C cake flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 C milk
  • 1 C medjool dates, finely chopped
  • 1 C nuts, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbl butter

Instructions:

  1. Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
  2. Sift together baking powder, flour and salt.
  3. Save 3 tablespoons of flour and fold the remaining flour gradually into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in milk and mix until batter is nearly smooth.
  4. Coat the dates and nuts with the reserved 3 tablespoons of flour. Stir into the batter.
  5. Grease Bundt or tube cake pan generously with 2 tablespoons butter. Dust pan with flour and turn pan upside and tap out excess. Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top surface of the batter with the back of a wet spoon.
  6. Bake in preheated oven at 325°F for 90 minutes.
  7. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes then slice along edges of pan with a butter knife to loosen cake before removing. Rum sauce is optional.

Rum Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 Tbl sugar
  • 1/4 C butter
  • 2 Tbl Rum

Instructions:

  1. Combine water, sugar and butter.
  2. Heat over low heat until mixture reaches a boil. Remove from heat and add rum.
  3. Invert cake on large platter and spoon rum sauce over warm cake.
  4. Allow to cool before slicing.