Date Cake with Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream

This cake is flavored with a Middle Eastern spice blend, Shawarma spice blend, which contains warm, aromatic spices like allspice, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. Top this moist date cake with a spiced caramel sauce and vanilla whipped cream.

Ingredients

Procedure

For the Spiced Date Cake:

1. Place dates and water to cover in small saucepan. Bring to boil on medium heat. Remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes. Drain dates. Place in food processor; cover. Process until just smooth. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, spice blend, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in yogurt and date mixture until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Pour batter into greased 13"x9" baking pan.
3. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

For the Caramel Sauce:

1. Cook 1 cup granulated sugar in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown, swirling pan occasionally without stirring. Add butter; stir until melted. Add 1/2 cup cream; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:

1. Beat remaining 3 ingredients (2 cups cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla) in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Serve cake with caramel sauce and vanilla whipped cream.