Date Cake

• Grease, flour, and line an 8-inch baking pan with greaseproof paper
• Combine the flour, with baking powder, salt, finely chopped cashews. Make sure to separate the date pieces. – set aside.
• Add 2 tbsp flour to the dates – set aside.

  Tips – adding the dates to the flour will prevent the dates from sinking to the bottom.

Prepare batter

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Add the beaten egg yolks – combine well with a whisk
• Then add the vanilla extract
• Add the semolina – combine well – Set aside for 2 hours.

  Tip – resting the batter with the semolina will give the cake a soft texture.
• After two hours – preheat the oven at 170 C/ 430 F
• Add the flour mixture to the batter – the batter will be stiff at this time. It's ok
• In a separate bowl whip the eggs whites until almost stiff peaks.
• Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Do not over mix

  Tip – overmixing will cause the eggs to deflate.
• Finally, add the dates – combine well but do not over mix.

  Tip – overmixing will cause the dates to sink at the bottom
• Pour into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean
• When baked let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a coollng rack and cool completely.

  tip – taking it off the pan and cooling on the rack will prevent the cake getting soggy.