Date-Nut Torte

Name: Date-Nut Torte
Yield: makes one 8-inch (20-cm) square cake; 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups (12 ounces/340 g) pitted dates, quartered; 1 cup (100 g) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped; 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon aniseed; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) orange juice (freshly squeezed or store-bought); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Powdered sugar, for dusting the cake

December 9, 2011

I’ve been unable to master Arabic, so I have no idea if there’s a translation for the phrase “snack cake.” My mother, who was half Syrian (and never mastered Arabic either), often made this cake for me when I was a kid. As an adult, I frequently find myself craving a piece for a snack. Or whatever a between-meal nibble is called. When I got the recipe from her, I read it through and noticed there wasn’t any butter in the cake. I figured it was probably a mistake, but when I baked it up, I found that no butter was necessary—the cake simply didn’t need it. It does benefit from a very generous dusting of powdered sugar, which can be a little messy, but part of the fun of Middle Eastern desserts is licking your sugary fingers after you’ve polished off the last bite.

Recipe notes

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