Date Cake

Two of my husbands absolute favorite foods are chocolate and dates. This cake is delicious. The dates add wonderful moistness and flavor to the cake, but the flavor of the dates is not overwhelming or distracting. I did add an extra half-cup of chopped dates to the recipe, much to my husbands liking. The topping of melted, gooey chocolate chips, crunchy sugar and pecans is perfect in place of a rich frosting.
Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups finely chopped dates
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-3/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (I use pecans)
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Toss the dates with the baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and stir. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
3. Sift together the nutmeg, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla; blend well.
5. Pour in the date mixture and blend.
6. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and smooth top.
7. Sprinkle the sugar over the top, followed by the chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. This is a bit tricky with the melted chocolate so look to find a spot free of chocolate for accurate testing.

Yield: 12 servings
515 calories with pecans
482 calories without pecans
5 gms. fiber
Tip: We love to microwave each piece for about 20 seconds on high to soften the chocolate. Yum!
Note: I use Private Selection chocolate chips, a Kroger product, which has 1 gram fiber per tablespoon. Most of the other brands do not have this amount of fiber, so if this count matters to you, do check the package labels.