This recipe is from a favorite cookbook I received as a gift in 1982 – Seasoned with Sunshine, a collection of recipes from Florida. This is a thin, delicious, moist cake that is easy to make. It makes a nice luncheon or supper dessert.
DELICIOUS DATE CAKE
- ½ cup dates, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. soda
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch pan.
In a small bowl, mix dates, soda and boiling water; set aside to cool.
By hand or in an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar, add egg. Sift flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Blend in cooled date mixture with liquid. Pour into well-greased 8×8 pan. Sprinkle on Pecan Topping* ingredients, beginning with brown sugar, then pecans and then the chocolate chips.
*Pecan Topping:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
6 servings. Delicious plain ….
… or with ice cream, whipped cream or whipped topping.
LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD 
Oh my – running out to replenish my chocolate chip supply! Nice placemat too.
I love desserts like this! =)
Thanks for sharing!
Dates would have been good, but dates and choc chips and pecans…oh my!
The topping was a surprise!! I bet that is delicious. Delightful photo with the dresden block placemat!
Thanks for the recipe. I am really enjoying your blog!
Oh boy, would hubby love this one!
It looks so pretty on the Dresden…great idea!
That sounds so good. What could be better than dates and chocolate chips together in a cake!
Everything in this cake sounds really good, but not too fond of dates. Could I use another dried fruit like apricots or raisins?
I imagine any dried fruit would be good. Let me know how yours turns out.
Wow Lillian, that looks and sounds so good. I’ve been on a sweet binge lately and I’m trying to wean myself off sugar:). I’m going to try this before I get to the finish line though. Thank you
The place mat you’re using is adorable, I imagine you made them too!
Just right size for a small family. I love date cake. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I have been looking for a recipe like this – it is a lot like my Aunt’s Prune cake I think – I must make it!
This reminds me a bit of Sticky Toffee Pudding, the old English dessert, except it doesn’t have the pecan topping (and it is served with a butterscotch sauce.) I will definitely try your recipe, and thank you for sharing.
I’ve just found your site, somehow or another. You know how one site links to another. I see you were a secretary. Did you have a favourite typewriter? I learned typewriting on an Underwood manual that had no letters on the keys. Then, the Underwood electrics were next and we thought they were very special.
I’ll be sure to subscribe to your blog, as it looks like you have many interesting articles. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for subscribing and for commenting. I think I used every typewriter that was available in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The one I loved the most and used up until we finally got a computer in the 1980s was the IBM Selectric.
Lillian