Traveling Gal's Chocolate Cake
Submitted by ravengroupdesign
Moist chocolate date cake studded with chocolate chips and chopped nuts, no frosting needed. Plumped dates keep this one-pan cake incredibly tender while cocoa and vanilla add deep chocolate flavor.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
45 minREADY
70 minHere’s the thing about this cake: it travels. No fussy frosting to smear, no delicate layers to collapse. Just a sturdy, deeply chocolatey 9×13 pan cake that you can cover, carry, and serve anywhere.
Diced dates get plumped in hot water with baking soda, which softens them into a naturally sweet paste that makes the crumb unbelievably moist. That date mixture gets folded into a creamy butter-sugar-cocoa batter along with chocolate chips, then the whole thing gets topped with more chips and chopped nuts before baking.
It comes out of the oven with a crackly, nutty top and a tender, fudgy center that doesn’t need a single thing on top.
Pro Tips
- Let the dates soak the full 10 minutes. Rushing this step means chewy date chunks instead of a smooth, moist batter
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the date mixture in small batches. This keeps the batter smooth and prevents overmixing
- Use walnuts or pecans for the topping. Their bitterness balances the sweetness of the dates and chocolate
- This cake actually tastes better the next day, making it ideal for baking ahead for potlucks, bake sales, or road trips
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Place dates in small bowl. Sprinkle with baking soda; add hot water.
Let stand 5 to 10 minutes to plump dates.
In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter or margarine together.
Add eggs.
Beat well again. Sift flour, salt and cocoa together. Add dry ingredients to sugar-butter mixture in small amounts, alternating with date mixture.
Add vanilla and mix well. Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips.
Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 x 2” baking pan.
Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and chopped nuts over top.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Comments
