I continue to dream about the ginger date latte from the bakery Tatte. There is something about the contrast between the sweet dates, the spicy ginger, and the mellowing quality of the the milk that creates a near-perfect comforting experience. I decided to borrow the key elements of this latte and turn it into a cake that is perfect for snacking any time of day, whether it’s breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack, or dessert after dinner.
This ginger date loaf cake borrows heavily from old-fashioned date cakes, in particular, King Arthur’s old-fashioned date-nut bread. In these cakes, dates are usually chopped and soaked in a mixture of hot water and baking soda to soften them. King Arthur uses coffee instead of water for added flavor. In my ginger date loaf cake recipe, to maximize the ginger flavor, you first steep slices of ginger in hot water to create a strong ginger tea in lieu of coffee or water. The ginger flavor is amped up with the addition of ground ginger to the loaf. The mixture needs a bit more acidity for a good rise, since there is not much in the ginger tea, so adding one tablespoon of lemon juice does the trick.
Another adjustment I made was to puree some of the dates. I wanted the ginger-date flavor to permeate the entire loaf and I also am just not a huge fan of having a lot of chewy chunks in my cakes and breads. Pureeing half of the mixture was the perfect balance for me, where there were still some pieces of date in the bread for visual interest and texture, but not an overwhelming amount.
Lastly, to tie in the creaminess from my latte inspiration, I recommend topping this loaf with a mascarpone frosting. The frosting is quick and easy to make and, in my opinion, really makes the cake. For an extra bite of spice to contrast the sweet dates, I topped my loaf with finely chopped crystallized ginger.
Ginger date loaf cake
Course: Cakes and custardsDifficulty: Quick bake1
loaf30
minutes45
minutesThis ginger date loaf cake is inspired by the ginger date latte from Tatte. Sweet dates are paired with spicy ginger and a creamy mascarpone frosting for the perfect snacking cake. This recipe is adapted from King Arthur’s old-fashioned date-nut bread.
Ingredients
1-inch of fresh ginger, sliced
2 cups (227 g) chopped dates
4 Tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup (142g) brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- For the mascarpone frosting
2 oz mascarpone cheese, chilled (usually 1/4 of an 8 oz container)
3 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Crystallized ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Add 1 1/4 cups of water to a small pot, followed by the sliced fresh ginger. Bring to a boil and then cover, turn the heat down, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Strain out the ginger.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the chopped dates, butter, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and brown sugar. Measure out 1 cup of the hot ginger tea (if you have less than one cup, you can make up the difference with water) and pour into the bowl. Stir everything to combine and let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan.
- (Optional step) Use an immersion blender to puree approximately half of the date mixture. You can also pour half into a blender to puree and then return the puree to the bowl.
- Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and flour, and stir until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to level out the batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts getting very brown, you can tent foil over the top to prevent it from browning further.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes, run a knife along the edges of the pan, and invert. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the frosting
- Add the mascarpone, heavy cream, and sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and holds its shape. Spread the frosting onto the top of the cooled loaf cake. Top with pieces of crystallized ginger. Store the frosted loaf in the refrigerator.
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