Chocolate Bailey's Date Cake

I have this thing for guys’ clothes. I love warm, cozy hoodies for after workouts; big, baggy t-shirts for sleeping; and large, oversized cardigans for wearing. Sometimes, it’s just comforting to be wrapped up in a big pile of cloth.

I’d steal clothes from my brothers, but unfortunately, we tend to have different styles. Theoretically, I could just buy guys’ clothes, but it’s a little bit awkward when you’re five-foot-six and skinny and you try to buy an XL men’s tee. The cashiers would probably assume that the purchase is a gift, but it’s awkward for me because I know that I’m the one wearing it. Comfort clothing, after all, should come no strings attached.

So the most suitable way to acquire guys’ clothes? Steal them from male friends. A couple weeks ago, I borrowed a hoodie from my friend Brian because I was cold. After wearing the cozy blue-gray salt and pepper hoodie for the whole day, I didn’t want to give it back. Brian and I struck up a deal: I could keep the hoodie if I baked him Peanut Butter, Banana, Date, Oat Bran Muffins, a New York Style Crumb Cake, and a Chocolate Bailey’s Date Cake.

I figured that the easiest way of payment would be to stagger the baked goods by a week. The first week, I brought the muffins to English class, where they were promptly consumed by the people who sat near us. The second week, I brought the whole square pan of Crumb Cake and gave it to Brian, pan and all. (Which reminds me that I really need to get the pan back from him...) The third week, I asked Brian is he happened to have any whiskey so that I could make the Chocolate Whiskey Date Cake that I had been dying to try. He didn’t have any, so I used Bailey’s instead.

This is one of those no nonsense uber gooey, dense cakes which weighs about a thousand pounds. It tastes of chocolate and Bailey’s Irish Cream, one of my favourite combinations.

 

Chocolate Bailey's Date Cake

Adapted from: Chocolate Cakes by Elinor Klivans

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 ½ cups pitted dates, cut in to ½-inch pieces
• ¾ cup whiskey or Bailey's Irish Cream
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

•  2 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whiskey
• 2 to 3 teaspoons water

*Note: I was too lazy to actually make the glaze and measure everything and melt the butter and whatnot so I just stirred some powdered sugar with some Bailey’s and some water until it was a drizzle-able consistency.

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350F.Butter and flour a bundt pan. *I used 3 6-inch cake pans.

To make the cake, put the dates in a small bowl and pour the whiskey over them. Stir to coat and let sit for 15 minutes or cover and let sit overnight. 

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, thick, and lightened in colour, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the dates and the whiskey. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the cake from the edges and center tube of the pan. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. 

To make the glaze, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. On low speed, mix in the whiskey and water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a smooth and pourable glaze forms. 

Use a small spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes. The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.