Walnut Date Cake

This cake has so much going for it...the natural sweetness from the dates contributes nutrients, flavor, and an undeniable SOFT texture. It's so fragrant and the color is a deeply rich brown that promises intense satisfaction from your first glance. The nutty crunch of the walnuts pairs perfectly with the stickiness of the dates. The coffee may come as a surprise to you in the list of ingredients, but you won't taste it...what you will taste is strong flavors from the other ingredients, and  you can thank the coffee for that! The brown sugar adds a hint of molasses and density, and the white sugar contributes to the cake-y texture.

In short, this cake is perfection. Should I keep going or are you ready to just make it?

Serves 16

Ingredients
---------------
-17 ounces pitted pureed dates  (about 2 cups packed pitted whole dates, see ** at the below instructions to read how to make this cake with whole dates instead of pureed dates)
-1 1/2 cups hot coffee (either brew fresh coffee or mix instant coffee with hot water)
-1 tablespoon vanilla flavor
-1 teaspoon baking soda

-3 eggs
-1/2 cup white granulated sugar
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla flavor
-1/3 cup melted coconut oil

-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cardamom (use half this amount or omit completely if not a fan of cardamom)
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
-1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Optional garnish: powdered sugar, whole walnuts

To make
----------
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan or 13x9 inch pan.
-In a medium bowl, place the date paste and pour the hot coffee, vanilla and baking soda over the paste. Break up the date paste into chunks and come back and stir the mixture every minute or so. As the date paste sits in the hot coffee it will soften and eventually you will be able to stir the mixture until the date paste is smooth and the coffee has completely mixed into the dates.
-In a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine 3 eggs, white and brown sugars, and vanilla flavor then cream using an electric beater. I leave my mixer running while the date paste softens.
-In another medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, ground cardamom and ground nutmeg).
-Once the date paste has softened completely, add the MELTED coconut oil and the dissolved date mixture. Keep mixing until the batter is well combined. You will notice a color difference when it is well mixed because the egg/sugar batter is pale and the date/coffee mixture is very dark.
-Turn your mixer setting to the lowest speed and slowly add the dry ingredients. When it is almost completely blended (you can still see lumps of flour) add the chopped walnuts (plus optional chocolate chips) and continue mixing. Try NOT to over mix your batter so the cake doesn't dry out.
-Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes (mine takes exactly 50 minutes). I bake my cake on the 2nd lowest rack in the oven, between the lowest rack and the middle portion. Your cake is finished when  a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached.
-Cool your cake then flip on a serving platter and garnish with optional powdered sugar and whole walnuts. Store leftovers covered tightly at room temperature.
-Enjoy!

**If you are using whole dates instead of date paste simply pit the seeds of the dates and place in a food processor with the hot coffee, vanilla flavor and baking soda. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to soften the dates then puree them to a fine paste consistency. Proceed with the recipe.

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Try these other great treats!

Cardamom Date Tart with Browned Butter Cookie Crust

Classic Banana Bread (most viewed banana bread recipe!)

Chocolate Fig Truffles

Classic Banana Bread

Without a doubt, banana bread is the single most frequently baked treat in my home. I look for ripe bananas at the market so we don't have to wait too long for them to be ready at home...I make a loaf weekly and it doesn't EVER see its 3rd day. At this point baking banana bread has an emotional significance to me because its become one of those unintentional traditions...my kids come home on Monday to the fragrant smells of banana and vanilla and have a slice after school. After dinner, they grab another slice. The next morning on their way out to school, they grab yet another piece...by the time they get home they're lucky if there's any left...and they wait for the following Monday to get their "bb" fix again. Banana bread makes Mondays a little less bleak, and who doesn't love that?!

If you go through my blog, you'll find several versions of this yummy cake. Here's how this new and improved version is different:

1) I've gone back to the basics and removed any extra ingredients or flavors (Greek yogurt, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, oats, etc.) to celebrate banana bread in all its glory, as a simple and utterly amazing bread. This translates into quicker prep time and fewer ingredients for you.

2) The texture of  banana "bread" instead of banana "cake" has been achieved with the tweaking of measurements. I'll let you in on my hugest revelation...an extra EGG was what it took to get a perfectly dense crumb on this treat (and not Greek yogurt or honey or any of the other stuff I've played with over the years).

3) Flax seeds are amazing. Adding them instead of walnuts takes care of potential nut allergies, gives a huge boost of nutrition and provides the nutty flavor that so many of us love with banana bread. If you don't like them, not a problem, just leave them out!

4) MOST IMPORTANT: Your bananas must be RIPE RIPE RIPE RIPE RIPE. And by ripe I mean too brown to enjoy on their own, but not nasty enough that you need to toss them out. When bananas get very ripe, their flavor deepens and they become sweeter, then when they're baked you will get that intense banana flavor that resembles a professional baked treat. Whatever you do, resist the urge to prepare this banana bread without ripe bananas, it will be the difference between an average bread and an AMAZING one (and you are completely capable of amazing, regardless of your experience!).

Makes 16 slices when baked in a bundt pan

Ingredients
---------------
-3 eggs
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/3 cup melted coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
-4 OVER RIPE mashed bananas (2 cups)

-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional add-ins (up to 1 cup total)
-------------------------------------
-1 tablespoon flax seeds
-chopped nuts
-chocolate chips
-chopped dried fruit or dates

To make
------------
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan.
-Using an electric mixer or by hand, mix eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together. Stir in melted coconut oil and mashed bananas.
-In another bowl, stir the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon) together and slowly add to the banana mixture. Stir until everything is moistened but DO NOT overmix so your banana bread stays moist. Gently add optional flax seeds or other add-ins.
-Pour mixture in greased pan and bake on the lower rack of a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes (I take mine out at 45 minutes). If you are baking in a loaf pan your bake time will be closer to 60 minutes. Your banana bread is finished when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.
-Remove from the oven and cool completely. Flip onto a platter and garnish with optional powdered sugar. Serve.
-Enjoy!

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Try these other treats!

Skinny Banana Oat Muffins

Vegan Orange Muffins

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake Muffins + Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

I realize things have been getting a little dessert-heavy around here....I'm not sure if I should apologize or accept your thanks?? As far as I'm concerned, if it's sweet, tastes good and IS good for you, then I've done the world a favor with each additional recipe! I'm often part of discussions about whether it is more satisfying to indulge in a few bites of something decadent or enjoy a whole slice of a wholesome treat that may be compromised on flavor. Here's my take: I'd rather eat a cookie and feel like I ate dessert for breakfast than a lumpy bowl of oatmeal. If I've already made the treat, they'll last a couple days and that means less prep time. When I'm in a rush I can eat a muffin on the go, as its a little hard to drive and eat a bowl of oatmeal.  So the reality is that I'm treating these sweet delites as breakfast, not dessert, and in which case its a win-win.  Want the decadent stuff? One of my fav's are these red velvet cheesecake brownies!

My new secret ingredient in baking is molasses. It adds such a depth of flavor, color and moisture to these muffins. I've been throwing it into my banana bread and muffins too and I'm really in love!

Another trick up my sleeve in this recipe is homemade buttermilk. I love what it does for baked goods but I feel pressured to keep baking whenever I have an opened carton in my fridge. Turns out this little homemade version is even better because I can control how much lemon to add and determine how thick my buttermilk gets. I've found 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 1/2 cup milk to give me the nice thick consistency I like.  It's VERY simple to prepare: the first thing you do when you start baking is mix your milk and lemon juice in a cup and leave it aside for at least 5 minutes. Go about your business preheating the oven and mixing the other ingredients and when you're ready for the buttermilk, give it a quick stir and use it. That's all.

A third bonus I have for you today is if you're out of applesauce, all you need to do is finely shred an apple! You don't even need to peel it first (but I hope it goes without saying that the apple needs to be washed...). Using shredded apple (aka quick applesauce) helps add moisture to the muffins and allows us to remove fat. It doesn't do much for flavor, so don't worry, this is a carrot muffin through and through.

I like to keep my muffins on the counter and the glaze in the refrigerator and frost my muffins right before serving. That way my muffins stay extra moist on the countertop and the glaze stays fresh in the fridge :)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
---------------
-1/2 cup milk
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
-1 medium apple, finely shredded (1/2 cup)
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1 teaspoon molasses
-2 tablespoons coconut oil
-3/4 cup brown sugar

-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon cloves
-1/2 cup raisins
-1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Optional:
-----------
-1/2 cup chopped nuts (I love using pecans)
-2 tablespoons flax seeds

To make
-----------
-Mix milk and lemon juice and set aside.
-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. I also coat my cups with non-stick cooking spray, just in case.
-Mix together the shredded carrots, shredded apple, egg, vanilla, molasses, melted coconut oil, and brown sugar until well incorporated.
-In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
-Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring only until they are mixed together. Do not over beat your mixture or your muffins will be dry.
-Stir in raisins and shredded coconut. Add optional nuts or flax seeds.
-Scoop 1/3 cup of muffin batter into lined cupcake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
-Store muffins tightly covered for up to 1 week. Move the the refrigerator after 3 days.



Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze
----------------------------------------------------

Ingredients
-------------
-8 ounces softened cream cheese
-1/2 cup white sugar
-3/4-1 cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (use up to 1 tablespoon)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make
-----------
-Mix the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. I usually do this by hand but you can also whip them with a stand mixer. Taste and adjust cinnamon content and brown sugar to desired sweetness.
-Store extra glaze in the refrigerator.


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Strawberries n' Cream Trifle

Everything in trifle form is better, especially when the cream layer is this tasty. Think cheesecake meets shortcake with a generous dose of strawberries and you'll understand how amazing this strawberries n' cream trifle is.

This is a great dessert when entertaining because it tastes BEST when its eaten about 2 days after making...overnight refrigeration is a minimum for great flavor. If you try to serve this right after assembling each of the layers will stand on their own, but if you let it set overnight then the cream softens the cake and the strawberries sweeten the whole trifle up...my  mouth is watering as I type this!

I've been making trifles ever since I first started baking and have been through many, MANY versions...at this point I try my best to keep the ingredients as natural as possible. Pudding mixes taste great and are easy to use, but they're not that healthy and are used to mimic the flavors of the real thing...so go ahead and use the real stuff to make your dessert wholesome and delicious without the extra use of preservatives, I promise, it doesn't take much more time and you'll feel better about what you're putting in your body!

Serves about 12

Ingredients
---------------
-8 ounces softened cream cheese
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-8 ounces cool whip (or make your own by whipping 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla)
-24 ounces of pound cake (typically 1.5 loaves)
-2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and cut into slices (about 4 cups)

*OPTIONAL: sometimes I like to alternate a layer of butter cookies instead of the pound cake. In this case you will only need 16 ounce loaf of pound cake and 1/2 pound butter cookies. It really emphasizes the shortbread flavor in the trifle and the texture of the cookies after being refrigerated is soft yet dense and incredibly satisfying.

To make
------------
-Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese (to soften quickly microwave in a bowl for 15 seconds), then add sweetened condensed milk and blend until well mixed and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Add the cool whip (or whipped cream) and mix together.
-Slice the pound cake into 16-20 thin slices.
-Wash, remove the stems and slice the strawberries into slices (about 4 slices per strawberry).
-In a trifle bowl (or another deep bowl) place a layer of pound cake slices to cover the bottom. You may need to break some of the slices up to make them fit.
-Spread about 1-1 1/2 cups of the cream topping and then add a layer of strawberries.
-Repeat this process until you have used up all of your pound cake, ending with a layer of strawberries. I usually end up with 4 layers.
-If you have any extra cake (or butter cookies) crumble it on top of the top layer before adding the strawberries.
Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
-Serve and enjoy!

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Looking for more trifle inspiration? Try my decadent and heavenly chocolate trifle heath bar cake...it ranks as one of my favorite indulgences!

Chocolate Trifle Heath Bar Cake

Skinny Banana Maple Oat Muffins

Today I present to you breakfast perfection. Its not often I can enjoy a dessert as breakfast and be completely satisfied with it's flavor AND nutritional content. These are the optimal loaves to bake when you're looking for something sweet but don't want to indulge.  No matter how healthy I make a dessert, in the back of my mind I'm always bothered by the flour. My banana bread recipe is incredible, and it is definitely a low guilt treat because of it's low sugar and oil content, but the flour is still present.  I experimented with the measurements of that recipe to create this oat version and I'm really happy with the results. Making oat flour is so easy, you'll feel like a baking expert when you try it for yourself!

A wholesome and delicious start to the day

Mornings around here are pretty rushed and this is a great quick breakfast that I feed my family knowing that they're starting the day with a good serving of whole grains, fruit and nuts. I love that these are portable and that they're not too sweet to have on an empty stomach. Enjoy this with a cup of milk and its like eating a bowl of  oatmeal, except as a tastier, baked-good version.  I'm having one as I type with my morning coffee and I feel great about it! I calculated the nutritional information for these babies and they're only about 77 CALORIES per muffin (or 130 calories per mini loaf)!!!! This is without the optional chocolate chips. That's honestly incredible...even with some added sweetness from the chocolate that's still a very low amount! What did I tell you about guilt free?! On that note, please excuse me while I go grab another muffin ;)

You can make these as muffins using a cupcake pan and decreasing the baking time by 3-6 minutes. Start checking them in oven at around 14 minutes for mini loaves and 12 minutes for muffins, as there is no bigger crime than over-baking a sweet treat ;)

Have fun with the mix in options...there are many different creations that can really alter the flavor! You can also swap out half the banana with pumpkin puree for a deeper orange shade and a varied dose of nutrients and taste.

Makes 12 mini loaves (or about 20 muffins)

Ingredients
--------------
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup brown sugar (if not adding any sweet mix-ins you may want to add 1/4 cup more sugar)
-1 tablespoon maple extract (use vanilla extract if you don't have access to maple)
-1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt
-2 tablespoons pumpkin butter (maple syrup or honey are good substitutes but add 1 teaspoon more cinnamon to dry ingredients to adjust flavoring)
-2 cups mashed banana (about 4 large bananas or 5 medium)

-2 cups whole oats or 1 3/4 cup oat flour (instant oats will grind quicker and yield a smoother baked texture than old fashioned oats, but either work)
-1 1/2  teaspoons baking soda
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
-1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
-optional: 1 cup mix ins (I used 1/4 cup pecan pieces, 1/4 cup cinnamon chips, 1/4 cup pumpkin chips, 1/4 cup chocolate chips)

To make
-----------

Creaming the eggs and sugar

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the cavities of a mini loaf pan or line with baking cups.
Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and maple extract (or vanilla) for about 5 minutes on high speed, until fluffy and golden.
-While the eggs are whisking, in a food processor combine 2 cups oats and grind until they are a fine powder, also about 5 minutes. If you want a super fine texture you can sift the oat flour, but I don't do this because I like the addition the small bits of oats add.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Pulse in your food processor together until well incorporated.
-Once the eggs have finished whisking, turn the mixer off and with a spatula gently stir in Greek yogurt, pumpkin butter and mashed banana (another easy way to mash the bananas is to transfer the oat mixture to a clean bowl and then place the bananas in the food processor and puree. Once completely smooth, I add the Greek yogurt and pumpkin butter then pulse until well mixed. Then I gently stir the banana mixture into the whipped eggs and mix it with a spatula).
-Add the dry ingredients and optional flax seeds to the wet mixture, mixing with a spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Do not overmix, as this will cause the batter to become dry as it bakes.
-Add your desired mix ins and scoop 1/3 cup of batter into each mini loaf pan (fill about 3/4 of the cavity). I pressed one chocolate chip into the center of each mini loaf and sprinkled flax seeds on top of some of them.
-Place pan into the lower rack of your preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached. These will firm up a bit more as they cool down (Baking range for muffins in a cupcake pan is about 13-17 minutes). My loaves were perfect at 14 minutes (and muffins at 15).
-Serve hot or room temperature and enjoy!

In case you missed the instagram video of my little helper grinding oat flour

Ready to hit the oven

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Sending a thank-you treat to my daughter's teacher

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bars

This stuff...I don't know whether to call it a cake, bread, bar or brownie....but it's incredible! The flavor is so amazingly rich, deep and decadent you'll feel like you're cheating with every bite you take. And that's the best part. It's so secretly healthy you almost want to scream that out loud with every morsel you inhale. Zucchini is filled with nutrients, and this recipe is a way to sneak it in without anyone knowing. I was so pleased with this cake that I couldn't help myself and told everyone who tried it all about the zucchini despite my best efforts not too ;)

Since I'm a chocolate fanatic, I really load it up with cocoa powder (woohoo, another guilt-free factor...extra anti-oxidants!)  I'm really in love with the intense dark color of this cake...the darker the color, the deeper the flavor.  If you use Greek yogurt instead of applesauce it will lighten the color of the cake, but the flavor is the same. Since the chocolate chips are mini, they add little soft bites of chocolate that don't harden even when cooled, mmm! I've baked it in mini loaf pans, as cupcakes with colored marshmallows, as gifts in loaf trays and brownie style in a baking pan. My favorite way...and the fastest...was in the 9x13 pan because that's when it was the most moist and fudgy.

I've tried different frostings on these bars and my top favorites were my chocolate ganache from my salted caramel chocolate tart and a cream cheese peanut butter frosting (I'll post that recipe soon!) Most of the time I eat the bars unfrosted but if I'm treating them like a dessert instead of a side to my morning coffee or midday snack I'll heat a piece up with the ganache and really savor the soft chocolate bar with the hot and smooth chocolate ganache.

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
--------------
-2 eggs
-1 cup sugar (plus up to 1/2 cup more for a sweeter cake...the kids definitely prefer it sweeter. If you're not frosting it, use a total of 1 1/2 cups of sugar)
-1/3 cup melted coconut oil
-2/3 cup applesauce or Greek yogurt
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-2 cups grated zucchini (don't use a zester to grate zucchini or your cake will stay too mushy, and don't use a grater with large holes because you will be able to see the zucchini pieces. Medium sized grater is best)
-2 squares melted semi-sweet baking chocolate (or 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, to be added with dry ingredients)
-2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 to 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

To make
-----------
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil spray (I buy mine from Trader Joe's, or use another non-stick cooking spray)
-Using a mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coconut oil, applesauce and vanilla until well combined, about 2 minutes. Then add the grated zucchini and melted chocolate squares.
-In another bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix together and add to dry ingredients while mixing together. Mix until everything is well combined but don't over beat the batter or it will get tough as it bakes. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into pre-greased pan.
-Bake between 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before you slice.
-Enjoy the bars plain or top the with powdered sugar, chocolate ganache or peanut butter frosting
-ENJOY!!!

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Chocoflan Cake

This looks very nice on a serving platter. I was a bit hesitant the whole time I was making it, because this method of baking was a bit new to me, but if you follow the directions (as you should in baking, because it is all about the precision of the method) then you will be just fine. And extremely impressed with the results. The cake is SO moist and the flan has a smooth consistency that almost makes it like a cheesecake.

This is one of those desserts that when you present to your guests they won't be able to help but exclaim "WOOOW!!!"  Feel free to soak up the praise as you smile to yourself because you know how simple it was to prepare :)

This cake is kind of like doing a science project because as the mixtures bake, the flan and cake mix will switch places...meaning, when you layer the cake in the pan, the cake mixture goes first and then the flan is laddled on top. After it finishes baking (because of the water bath pulling the denser mixture to the bottom) the flan and cake will switch and the flan will end up on the bottom and the cake will be on top.

Interestingly, this dessert is found both in Hispanic and Middle Eastern cultures, so take your pick for who you'd like to give credit for it!

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients
------------
-1/2 cup of caramel sauce

Cake:

-chocolate cake mix

-3 eggs
-1 cup water

-1/3 cup oil

-1/2 cup sour cream 

Custard:
-1 can evaporated milk
-8 ounces cream cheese, softenend
-1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
-4 eggs

Assembly
-----------
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
-Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour the caramel sauce on the bottom of the pan.
--In a bowl, mix the cake mix, water, 3 eggs, oil and sour cream until well blended.
-In a blender, combine the cream cheese, 4 eggs, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
-Pour the cake mix on top of the caramel sauce into the bundt pan. Carefully laddle the milk and egg mixture on top. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray and cover the bundt pan. This is important to to do so the cake mix and flan do not stick to the foil as they bake.
-Fill a round cake pan with water and place the bundt pan into the water mixture. This creates a water bath to help the cake and flan bake properly. The water must come up about halfway to the bundt pan.
-Bake the cake in the water bath for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Remove when a fork comes out clean from the center.
-Cool the cake and then place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from fridge and flip onto a serving dish.
-Enjoy :)