VANILLA APPLE CAKE WITH DATES AND WALNUTS

The crust is a deep whiskey color, and the base is spongy vanilla. For extra mouthfeel (new word I’m in love with: how food feels in your mouth), apples to smoosh, dates to chew, and walnuts to crunch. There’s a lot happening in my mouth at the moment that I love. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup neutral oil such as corn or canola

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean 

• ½ cup whole milk *

• 4 eggs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup walnuts, quartered 

• 15 dates, quartered and tossed in flour

• 2 red apples, peeled and diced 

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 2.75-litre capacity bundt pan.

2. Place the oil, sugar, vanilla, milk, and eggs in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 

3. Add the flour and baking powder and whisk to combine.

4. Fold in the walnuts, dates, and apples until just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes until the cake turns a dark whisky brown. I enjoy my baked goods “well done”, as this develops the flavors in the crust. After baking for 55 minutes, check on your cake and gauge the level of doneness you desire. 

6. Once out of the oven, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish. 

7. Serve warm or a day old, with coffee or tea, and always with a side of certainty. 

* You may substitute the whole milk for nonfat and or lactose-free milk -- I tested both!

Recipe, Photography, Food Styling, Prop Styling by: TALA SOUBRA

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