Date Cake with Bacon and Pecans

Name: Date Cake with Bacon and Pecans
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoons baking soda; 3 Tbsps bourbon or dark rum; 79 milliliters packed dark brown sugar; 2 larges eggs, at room temperature; 296 milliliters all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoons ground ginger; 0 teaspoons ground black pepper; 237 milliliters heavy cream; 227 grams pitted Medjool dates; 2 Tbsps golden syrup or molasses (optional; 355 milliliters toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (See Notes); 0 teaspoons salt; 8 strips thick-cut bacon; 7 Tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

This recipe serves 8. One serving contains 699 calories, 11g of protein, and 50g of fat. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 2 hours. Head to the store and pick up vanillan extract, flour, molasses, and a few other things to make it today.

Instructions

For the Bacon: Set a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Wire Rack

Oven

Line a second rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon strips in single layer.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper in small bowl. Rub sugar mixture all over bacon strips and bake until crisp, 16 to 20 minutes, turning bacon strips with tongs halfway through baking.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon

Ginger

Pepper

Sugar

Dry Seasoning Rub

Equipment you will use

Oven

Tongs

Bowl

Transfer bacon strips to prepared cooling rack and cool completely, about 15 minutes. Once cooled, coarsely chop.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Wire Rack

Decrease oven temperature to 350°F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

For the Cake: Grease 9-inch round cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round and grease parchment with butter.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Baking Paper

Cake Form

Bring dates and bourbon or rum to boil over medium-high heat in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced and dates are plump, about 10 minutes. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Baking Soda

Bourbon

Vanilla

Dates

Rum

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Ingredients you will need

Baking Soda

Bourbon

Vanilla

Dates

Rum

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Baking Powder

Cinnamon

Ginger

All Purpose Flour

Salt

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Bowl

Pulse dates and cooking liquid in food processor until ground to a paste.

Ingredients you will need

Dates

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

In large bowl, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Brown Sugar

Butter

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Ingredients you will need

Egg

Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with date paste. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat mixture just until combined, 20 to 30 seconds.

Ingredients you will need

Date Paste

All Purpose Flour

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Blender

Bowl

Add half of the chopped bacon and half of pecans and beat just to combine, about 20 seconds.

Ingredients you will need

Pecans

Bacon

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center of cake, about 30 minutes, rotating cake halfway through baking.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Frying Pan

Transfer to cooling rack and cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake directly onto cooling rack and cool about 30 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Wire Rack

Frying Pan

For the Glaze: While the cake is cooling, bring cream, brown sugar, (optional) syrup or molasses, and salt to boil over medium-high heat. Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Brown Sugar

Molasses