Maple and Date Syrup Cake

SERVES: 8 - 10
COOK: 50 MINUTES
PREPARATION: 20 MINUTES 

Ingredients
1 cup (230g) fresh pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup (80g) chopped sultanas
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising (self rising) flour, sifted
3/4 cup (130g) brown sugar
150g butter, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups (500ml) maple syrup extra

Method
Preheat oven to 160C (325F). Place the dates, sultanas, bicarbonate of soda and water in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Using a hand held blender, blend the date mixture until smooth. Set aside. 


Place the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter, maple syrup, vanilla, eggs and date mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm round tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Place the extra maple syrup in a saucepan over high heat and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Allow to cool slightly. Pour warm syrup over the cake to serve. 

My Notes
This cake could easily have been cooked in a bigger say 22cm cake tin as it rose really high! and it probably would have cooked in the recommended 50 minutes. I needed to cook for a further 20 minutes as the cake was still runny in the middle. 


It looks like an awful amount of Maple Syrup around this cake! I wonder if it will soak up...It cost a fortune! 

This recipe was from Donna Hay Magazine June/July 2010 issue, wow what a great magazine! (and to be honest I am surprised...I have never been a fan of hers, mainly from seeing her on the TV where she just leaves me cold!) but I have tagged just about every second page with recipes that I just HAVE to make! and all the photos are really gorgeous! I wish I could take them like that :)  I think I will be buying this magazine again:) even though Daniel has put me on a magazine buying ban.......we shall see... *evil twinkle in my eye*