Thanksgiving calls for a Bundt
Thanksgiving is here, and at our house, time-honored foods are a part of the celebration. This cake is a frequent choice because variations of it have been on American tables for more than 100 years. Its old-timey goodness is due to the wonderful match between soft, sweet dates and crunchy, bitter walnuts. The moist, mildly spiced cake can be served any time of day and, when accompanied by a rich brown sugar sauce, is a lovely dessert. It’s also a good recipe to make in smaller sizes to give as gifts throughout the holiday season.
A word of warning: Too much flour and even a little too much time in the oven will result in a dry texture, so take care. The cake is at its best a day after baking, but it’s still good on the day it’s made.
DATE AND WALNUT BUNDT CAKE
Total time: 2 hours Adjusted for elevations of 7,000 feet and above. Make in 5 one-cup, 2 three-cup or 1 six-cup capacity Bundt pans, preferably nonstick
1 cup pitted dates (about 4 ounces), each date chopped into 8 pieces
¾ cup water
¼ cup dark rum, brandy or more water 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick), cut into 8 pieces
½ cup superfine granulated sugar ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar Scant ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, combined and beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla paste or extract ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, optional 1½ cups, plus 3 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour, spoon and level
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
BROWN SUGAR GLAZE/SAUCE
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract Splash dark rum or brandy, optional
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Generously grease the Bundt pan(s) with a vegetable oil-flour spray and wipe it into all the pan’s curves, crevices and the central stem.
Prepare the date mixture: Dump the chopped dates into a large saucepan, add the water and rum, and stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower the heat and, while stirring, simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and the two sugars, and continue to stir over low heat until the butter melts, the sugars dissolve and the mixture is blended. Remove from the heat, add the baking soda (the mixture should foam) and stir well. Set aside to cool until tepid.
Complete the batter: Add the beaten eggs, vanilla and spices (if using), and stir until well blended. Add all the flour, stir gently until half of it is absorbed into the batter, add the walnuts, and continue to stir only until a smooth batter, pebbled by the nuts, forms. Don’t overbeat!
Bake and cool: Scrape the batter into the pan(s), filling the one-cup pans to no more than an inch from the top and the larger pans to no more than an inch and
a half from the top. Level and smooth the batter and rap the pan on a counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the top is set, slightly springy (still somewhat soft to the touch) and lightly golden. Start checking the individual cakes after 15 minutes and the larger ones after 22 minutes. Don’t overbake, or you’ll lose the lovely moist texture. Remove the cakes(s) to a rack, cool 15 minutes, then invert onto rack, carefully remove pan and let cakes cool completely.
Make glaze/sauce: Put the butter, cream and brown sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and rum (if using), and set aside until tepid. Drizzle about one-third of the mixture over the cooled cake(s). If you want a thicker/sweeter/more opaque glaze, like the one used on the small cakes in the photo, pour about one-third cup of the glaze/sauce into a bowl and whisk in confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Save the remaining glaze/sauce, covered, in the fridge to serve, warmed, with the cake.
Store and serve: Store the glazed cakes, well covered, at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator. Present warm slices of the cake with the warm sauce.
Vera Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks (available at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe). Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.