Dappled Date Cake
Natasha Pickowicz's date cake employs a genius technique—a sesame crust that both adds deep flavor and helps the cake retain moisture.
- MakesMakes one 8-inch (20 cm) round cake Serves 8
- Cook Time30 minutes inactive time
- Active time plus cooling20 minutes active time
An upside-down cake is my very favorite way of incorporating dried or fresh fruit into a batter. It's like having two desserts in one—a triumphant fruit tart on top and a golden cake underneath. Here, torn dates, scattered into the bottom of a coconut sugar-crusted cake pan, create a dappled, sticky camouflage on the surface, while the ring of sesame seeds adds crunch and structure to each slice. It’s as special as an ambitious layer cake, but with a fraction of the work.
Excerpted from More Than Cake by Natasha Pickowicz (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2023. Photographs by Graydon Herriot.
Weight-volume equivalents and recipe style may differ from recipes developed and published by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street.
Step 1
Preheat the oven and prep the cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with cooking spray and press a round of parchment paper into the pan. Tilt the cake pan on its side and sprinkle the sesame seeds on the walls of the pan, slowly rotating the pan to coat the sides evenly.
Step 2
Arrange the dates in the pan. Scatter 1 tablespoon of the coconut sugar all over the parchment. Tear the dates in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Arrange the dates all over the parchment round.
Step 3
Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) coconut sugar, the egg, lemon juice, 1/2 cup (115 g) of the coconut milk, the coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. In a small glass, combine the remaining 1/4 cup (60 g) coconut milk and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and set aside for soaking the cake later.
Step 4
Combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Dump the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients bowl and gently whisk to combine.
Step 5
Bake the cake. Scrape the batter into the cake pan over the dates. Bake until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6
Soak the cake and let cool. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly. Using a small brush or spoon, drizzle the reserved coconut milk mixture over the surface of the cake. Set a platter on top of the cake pan. Slowly flip both the pan and platter over. Carefully remove the cake pan and peel off the parchment paper. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and use a serrated knife to portion the cake into 8 slices.
Step 7
To make this upside-down cake with fresh fruit, try 1 thinly sliced apple, 3 cubed stalks rhubarb, 2 cubed peaches or nectarines, or 2 cups (200 g) cranberries or pitted sour cherries. I find citrus to be too watery and fibrous for this treatment, and more muted fruits like pears tend to get lost in the cake.
