Double date cake with whiskey butterscotch sauce

Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 1 hour Makes: 10 to 12 servings

3⁄4 cup diced dates with oat flour ½ cup chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons cacao nibs or small bits of dark chocolate, optional 1½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup whole wheat flour 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt 1 package (8 ounces) whole pitted dates, about 1 ¾ cups 2 tablespoons rye whiskey or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 4 large eggs Powdered sugar, optional Whiskey butterscotch sauce, see recipe

1 Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. For the topping, mix diced dates, walnuts and cacao nibs in a small bowl. Set aside.

2 Mix flours, baking soda, spice blend, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Put pitted dates, whiskey and espresso powder in a heat-proof bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and let stand until dates are super soft, about 10 minutes. Pour date-whiskey mixture into a food processor; process to a smooth puree. Let stand to thicken, about 20 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, put butter into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes total. Add half of the flour mixture and all of the date-whiskey puree. Beat to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just enough to combine. Do not over-mix.

4 Scrap the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved diced-dates-and-walnuts mixture evenly over the batter. Bake until cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan and a wooden pick inserted in several places comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

5 Let the cake cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Remove the sides of the springform. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, if desired. Drizzle with the whiskey butterscotch sauce.

Nutrition information per serving (for 12 servings): 375 calories, 17 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 54 g carbohydrates, 37 g sugar, 6 g protein, 285 mg sodium, 3 g fiber