Ingredients
For the date topping:
- 27 Medjool dates
- 6 Tbsp butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- pinch of ground cardamom
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour + more for pan
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened + more to grease pan
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp rosewater
- ½ cup buttermilk
To garnish:
edible flowers, ground pistachios or dried rose petals,
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cover dates with hot water and soak for at least 20 minutes. Remove skin from dates, halve lengthwise, and remove pits.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter and flour the sides of a 9-inch round non-stick cake pan.
- For the date topping, cream together butter, brown sugar, salt and cardamom until well combined. Spread butter mixture evenly across the bottom of prepared pan. Arrange date halves over butter mixture in a pattern of concentric circles with their cut sides facing up.
- To make the cake batter, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy and pale in color. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating one fully before adding the next. Beat in rosewater to fully incorporate.
- With mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (do not over-beat). Follow with half of buttermilk, then second third of flour, the other half of buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing completely between each addition.
- Spoon batter over arranged dates, spreading evenly and taking care not to jostle dates. Bake cake in middle rack of oven 30-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake, then invert onto serving plate, replacing any dates that stick to pan.
- Garnish with edible flowers, ground pistachios or dried rose petals, and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish