Dates Cake

 Dates Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Dates (pitted and chopped)
• 2 lb  (4 cups) Sugar

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Dates (pitted and chopped)
• 2 lb  (4 cups) Sugar
• 1 lb Butter
• 12 Eggs
• 1/2 lb (2 cups) All purpose flour
• 1/4 lb or 113 gram Rava/Suji
• 150 gram Cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp (11 gram) Baking powder 
• 1 tbsp Vanilla
• 5 drops/1/2 tsp Almond extract
• 1 tbsp Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove powder
• 1 cup Hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (180°C) with the oven track in center of the oven. 
2. Soak the dates in hot water for an hour, let it cool and soften.
3. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, set aside.
4. Roast the rava in a 1 tbsp butter, until golden brown, not burnt.
   
5. Separate eggs, put yolks in medium bowl.
6. In the bowl of an electric stand mixture bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment (or hand mixture) add egg whites beat until foam peak, transfer egg whites to another bowl.
7. In a stand mixture, fitted with a paddle attachment add butter and sugar, beat on medium high speed, until batter turns pale white and soft for about 3 - 5 minutes.
8. With the mixture on low speed, alternatively add the flour mixture(in 4 additions), egg whites(in 4 additions), and egg yolk one at a time beginning and ending with the flour to the butter mixture.
9. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the roasted rava, cashew nuts and cardamom, nutmeg powder.
   
10. Add vanilla, almond extract and beat in low speed, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  
11. Pour and spread the batter in the greased and lined two 9"x13" oblong baking pan and one 8.5x4.5x2.5 loaf pan. 
12. Bake 375°F (190°C) for about 30 minutes, then 370°F (180°C) 7 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.Remove from the oven, place the cake pans on a wire rack to cook for about 15 - 30 minutes.
13. Serve!