Date Cake With Orange Blossom Syrup Recipes

DATE CAKE WITH ORANGE-BLOSSOM SYRUP

Steps:

• Syrup: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in orange-blossom water. Let cool.
• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of a standard 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; coat with flour, tapping out excess.
• Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla; beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk in 2 batches, beating until just combined. Fold in walnuts and dates.
• Transfer batter to pan. Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven; evenly pierce holes at 1-inch intervals in top of cake (all the way to bottom) with skewer, then pour syrup over cake. Let cool in pan.
• Serving: Serve slices of cake with whipped cream dusted with cinnamon, and orange segments.

ORANGE DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; combine 1 cup with dates and walnuts. Set both mixtures aside. , In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange zest. Add reserved flour and date mixtures. Stir in buttermilk just until blended. , Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 300° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. , For syrup, in a small saucepan, heat orange juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let stand for 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes more before pouring syrup over cake.