DATE SHAKE COFFEE CAKE

Makes 1 (8-inch) cake

According to legend, a date farmer in the Coachella Valley in southern California came up with this simple, intoxicating taste: chopped Medjool dates, vanilla ice cream, and whole milk, blended into a shake. Sweet and creamy, this rich treat is a cool splurge in intense heat.

We wanted to take the flavors of this shake and make it into a coffee cake, a classic American baked good. Make this cake for a Sunday morning, throw on a big pot of coffee, and invite friends over for brunch—you have a new tradition.

• Fat for greasing the pan
• For the date topping
• 85 grams Grain-Free Flour Mix
• 5 large (85 grams) pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup (85 grams) chopped pecans
• ½ cup (85 grams) packed coconut sugar
• 5 tablespoons (55 grams) coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• For the cake
• 275 grams Grain-Free Flour Mix
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups (260 grams) organic cane sugar
• ½ cup (100 grams) coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup (210 grams) full-fat sour cream
• 1 cup (150 grams) dates, pitted and chopped
• 5 to 8 tablespoons water

Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan. Lay a greased round of parchment paper into the pan.

Make the date topping. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until they are all evenly coated with the oil.

Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the eggs and sugar. Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and cream them together until they are light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low, pour in the melted coconut oil. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Finish the batter. With the mixer running, add approximately one-third of the flour mixture to the cake batter. When the flour has disappeared into the batter, add half the sour cream. When the sour cream has blended in with the batter, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Repeat, varying between the flour and sour cream, ending with the flour. Add the chopped dates and mix until they are part of the batter. The batter should be light and fluffy, sliding easily off the paddle. If the batter is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running, until the batter feels like cake batter.

Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Give it a little thump on the counter to settle the batter evenly. Put it on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the edges of the cake have just started to set and the top of the cake is a little jiggly, about 15 minutes. Strew the date topping over the cake, covering it evenly. Close the oven door and bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake emerges with only a few crumbs on it, 25 to 35 minutes. (If the top is browning too quickly before the cake is done, make a tent of aluminum foil over the top of the cake.)

Cool the cake. Let the cake pan rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Cut slices of the cake straight from the pan. Serve warm.

Feel like playing?

We learned the hard way that gluten-free cakes need to bake a bit before the streusel can go on top. When we scattered the date topping on top of the batter, then put it in the oven, it all sank into the cake, which ended up with a funny-looking top. But frankly, it was a great cake! Feel free to make the same mistake and feed it to your friends, as we did.