Holiday Cheddar Date Cake
Submitted by gypsy queen
Holiday cheddar date cake bakes a tube of brown sugar batter loaded with shredded sharp cheddar, dates, pecans, candied cherries, and golden raisins. A surprising savory-sweet fruitcake that keeps for 6 weeks.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsCheddar cheese in a fruitcake sounds wild, but it’s a brilliant old-fashioned trick. The shredded sharp cheddar doesn’t read as cheesy in the finished cake. Instead, it adds a faint tangy depth and tenderness that balances the sweetness of the dates, candied cherries, and golden raisins.
The slow 300°F (150°C) bake (a full 2 to 2½ hours) is what gives this cake its dense, fruit-studded interior without burning the top. Tossing the chopped pecans and dried fruit with a tablespoon of flour is a classic baker’s trick that suspends them throughout the batter instead of letting them sink to the bottom of the tube pan.
Pro Tips
- Use real sharp cheddar, not mild. The sharper the cheese, the more interesting the savory undertone in the finished cake. Pre-shredded works in a pinch but freshly grated melts more evenly.
- Toss the fruit and nuts thoroughly with the reserved flour mixture. Skip this and you’ll find them all packed in a sad layer at the bottom of the cake.
- Check for doneness with the press test, not just a toothpick. The cake should shrink slightly from the pan walls and spring back when poked in the center.
- Cool exactly 15 minutes in the pan before turning out. Less time and it crumbles, more time and it sticks.
Variations
- Swap candied cherries for chopped dried apricots or candied ginger for a less sweet, more complex result.
- Add 2 tablespoons of brandy or rum to the milk for a boozier holiday note.
- Wrap the cooled cake in cheesecloth soaked in brandy and store in a tin for up to 6 weeks. The flavor deepens beautifully with time.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300℉ (150℃). and grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium, until well blended.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the cheddar cheese.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a medium bowl.
In another medium bowl, combine the dates, pecans, cherries and raisins.
Add 2 Tbls of the flour mixture, tossing lightly to coat the fruit and nuts.
Alternately beat the remaining flour mixture and milk into the butter mixture until well blended.
Stir in the floured fruit mixture by hand until distributed throughout the batter.
Turn into the prepared pan. Bake for 2 to 2½ hours in the preheated oven until the cakes shrinks from the side of the pan and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool for 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack then remove from the pan.
Cool completely on the wire rack.
When cool, store in a container with a tight lid for up to 6 weeks.
To serve, cut into thin slices.
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