Until you taste it, you won't understand: Sticky date toffee cake

In its seven years of existence, the café at Meshek Offaim in Beit Hansen, Jerusalem, has become one of the city's favorite spots, expanding to more locations across the country.

The fresh ingredients from the farm, owned by brothers Yinon and Hedai Offaim, are perfectly integrated into original dishes like the Bourekason. The stunning décor of Beit Hansen, which once served as a leper hospital, adds to the wonderful atmosphere of the place.

All the recipes for Rosh Hashanah

Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Hedai Offaim and Adam Eisenstadt shared the recipe for one of the tastiest desserts served at the café: Date toffee cake. The dates in the cake provide moisture, juiciness, and, of course, natural, wonderful sweetness. After baking, the cake is generously topped with a toffee sauce made from silan (date syrup), making it one of the most indulgent bites.

Date Toffee Cake

Recipe by: Adam Eisenstadt and Hedai Offaim, Walla Food team

• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 90 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 1 English cake pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

250g pitted Medjool dates

1 cup water

1 tsp baking soda

100g butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 vanilla bean

100g flour

1 tsp baking powder

Butter for greasing the pan

For the date toffee sauce:

100ml heavy cream

1 3/4 cups demerara sugar

3/4 cup natural silan (date syrup)

Serving suggestion (optional):

Thick yogurt

Instructions

How to make Date Toffee Cake?

1. Prepare the cake: Place the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add the baking soda and stir. Cook for another minute over low heat, remove from the heat, and allow to cool.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix at medium speed until smooth and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition, until well incorporated. Add the contents of the vanilla bean.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the dates and their liquid, mixing after each addition, until all ingredients are combined.

5. Pour the batter into a buttered English cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake.

6. While the cake is baking, prepare the toffee sauce: In a heavy saucepan, combine the ingredients for the toffee sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce the heat and continue stirring until the liquid reduces by half and the sauce thickens. Store in a jar at room temperature.

7. To serve, slice a generous piece of cake and pour the toffee sauce over it until it is fully covered. A spoonful of thick yogurt on the side will make it the perfect fall treat.

In collaboration with Sugat