Cake of the Day: Date Shake Coffee Cake from ‘Gluten-Free Girl American Classics’

Every day, Yahoo Food features delectable cakes. They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern, also known as the Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef share a coffee cake that captures the flavors of a creamy date shake from their cookbook Gluten Free Girl American Classics .

The flavors of a date shake captured in a gluten-free cake. (Photo: Lauren Volo)

By Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern

Date Shake Coffee Cake
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake

According to legend, a date farmer in the Coachella Valley in southern California came up with this simple, intoxicating taste: chopped Medjool dates, vanilla ice cream, and whole milk, blended into a shake. Sweet and creamy, this rich treat is a cool splurge in intense heat. We wanted to take the flavors of this shake and make it into a coffee cake, a classic American baked good. Make this cake for a Sunday morning, throw on a big pot of coffee, and invite friends over for brunch—you have a new tradition.

For the date topping:
85 grams Grain-Free Flour Mix (see below)
5 large (85 grams) pitted dates, chopped
1 cup (85 grams) chopped pecans
½ cup (85 grams) packed coconut sugar
5 tablespoons (55 grams) coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:
275 grams Grain-Free Flour Mix (see below)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
11/4 cups (260 grams) organic cane sugar
½ cup (100 grams) coconut oil, melted
1 cup (210 grams) full-fat sour cream
1 cup (150 grams) dates, pitted and chopped
5 to 8 tablespoons water
Fat for greasing the pan

Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan. Lay a greased round of parchment paper into the pan.

Make the date topping. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until they are all evenly coated with the oil.

Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the eggs and sugar. Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and cream them together until they are light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low, pour in the melted coconut oil. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Finish the batter. With the mixer running, add approximately one-third of the flour mixture to the cake batter. When the flour has disappeared into the batter, add half the sour cream. When the sour cream has blended in with the batter, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Repeat, varying between the flour and sour cream, ending with the flour. Add the chopped dates and mix until they are part of the batter. The batter should be light and fluffy, sliding easily off the paddle. If the batter is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running, until the batter feels like cake batter.

Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Give it a little thump on the counter to settle the batter evenly. Put it on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the edges of the cake have just started to set and the top of the cake is a little jiggly, about 15 minutes. Strew the date topping over the cake, covering it evenly. Close the oven door and bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake emerges with only a few crumbs on it, 25 to 35 minutes. (If the top is browning too quickly before the cake is done, make a tent of aluminum foil over the top of the cake.)

Cool the cake. Let the cake pan rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Cut slices of the cake straight from the pan. Serve warm.

Feel like playing?
We learned the hard way that gluten-free cakes need to bake a bit before the streusel can go on top. When we scattered the date topping on top of the batter, then put it in the oven, it all sank into the cake, which ended up with a funny-looking top. But frankly, it was a great cake! Feel free to make the same mistake and feed it to your friends, as we did.

Grain-Free Flour Mix
Makes 1000gram

300 grams raw buckwheat flour
200 grams almond flour
100 grams finely ground flaxseed meal
200 grams potato starch
200 grams arrowroot flour

Put the flours and starch in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer with paddle attachment. While them together until the are one color. You now have a flour blend. Store it in a large jar or container.

Reprinted with permission from Gluten Free Girl American Classics by Shauna James Ahern (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Gluten Free Girl American Classics by Shauna James Ahern. (Photo: Lauren Volo)

For more awesome cake inspiration, visit our Cake of the Day Pinterest board and get to pinning!

More gluten-free cakes to devour:

Gluten-Free Lavender Honey Cake

Gluten-Free Sour Cherry Spoon Cake

Battle the Winter Blues With This Greek Yogurt Citrus Cake