You need
250g dates, chopped
170ml boiling water
50ml butter, at room temperature
200ml dark brown sugar
1 extra large egg
Zest of one orange
250 ml cake flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
15ml baking powder
10ml ground cinnamon
1ml ground cloves
10ml ground ginger
5ml salt
50ml pecans, chopped
For the syrup you need:
150ml white sugar
200ml orange juice
5ml vanilla extract
25ml butter
80-100ml brandy
To decorate
Optional: thin slices of orange, orange zest strips, herbs or edible flowers
To serve
250ml whipping cream
To prepare
Preheat the oven to 190°C
Spray a 22cm ring cake tin with non-stick stray
Mix the dates and boiling water, then set aside to soak until cooled.
Cream the butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Add the orange zest
Sift the dry ingredients into the soaked dates, then add this to the wet ingredients.
Fold in the pecans, taking care not to over mix.
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with small crumbs attached to it.
Turn the cake out, let it stand for about 10minutes, then return it to the cake tin.
To make the syrup
Combine the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Once you have placed the cake back in the tin, and while it is still hot pour the syrup over the cake, allow to soak in, then remove from the tin.
Once all the syrup has soaked in invert the cake onto the serving platter.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with whipped cream