Apple Date Dream Cake

(The name is an understatement.) This cake is perfectly moist and tender, lightly spiced, and studded with dates and nuts. Then there’s the sauce. Buttery, rich, and addicting, it’s pure indulgence and really makes the cake. My Grandma has made this cake every Christmas for decades, with rave reviews. She makes mini versions as gifts for friends and neighbors, and it’s become a staple at our family holiday gatherings. (Behind her back, Grandpa would sneak to the fridge and steal spoonfuls of the sauce if he ever got the chance.)

This year we aren’t having our usual big family get-together, however, so I decided to give Grandma’s recipe a try at home this year. It’s the perfect holiday treat, and brings back so many memories of family and Christmas. The only problem is that I have this whole caramel-drenched cake sitting in my kitchen just calling my name. So to save me from myself, and avoid a household sugar rush, I’m going to need to give some of this away and fast! Luckily, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a few takers. 

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My grandma, Linda Beck Bullough, is the queen of family holiday traditions. This cake is just one example. As kids we all looked forward to Christmas parties at Grandma’s house, which was always beautifully decorated and filled with treats and bear hugs. After the feast, we kids would always (sometimes grudgingly) dress up and act out the Nativity story as my Grandpa read the account from the New Testament. Then we’d have a family talent/musical show, gift exchange, snap a few family photos, and Grandma and Grandma would share a story about a memory from their past or about family members who had passed on. It was always crowded, crazy, and so much fun. As we’ve gotten older and the family has grown, the venue has changed a bit, but many of the traditions remain the same.

The year 2020 has been different, though. My Grandpa passed away this summer, and my Grandma recently won a horrible battle with Covid-19. I survived a difficult pregnancy (which is why I haven’t posted anything here since March, sorry!) and gave birth to a beautiful pair of twins, and things have generally been unusual and challenging for everyone this year, so this cake is a nod to the happy memories and traditions of Christmas’s past.

And next year, I won’t have to worry about eating the whole thing because we can enjoy it all together again. Without masks. And the bear hugs. I can’t wait for all the very real, non-Zoom bear hugs. But for now, I’ll enjoy this sweet tradition-tasting treat and remember that 2020 has been filled with blessings too.

The great thing about this cake is that it’s best if it sits for a day or so before serving, so it’s a great make-ahead dish. In fact, my grandma would usually bake her cakes in October, then freeze them and pull them out in December when it was time to enjoy them. Don’t add the butter sauce until you’re about ready to serve the cake, although you can prepare it a few days in advance and store it in the fridge, then reheat to serve.

Here’s the recipe.

Apple Date Dream Cake

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling

½ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped dates (or chopped raisins, if you prefer)

½ cup chopped nuts (I use toasted walnuts) (optional; if allergic, you can leave them out)

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Combine eggs, pie filling, oil, and vanilla; stir in flour mixture and mix well. Stir in dates and nuts.

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or a greased 13×9″ baking dish. (I like to make a paste with the butter and flour when greasing the bundt pan. It’s an easy and foolproof way to prevent sticking.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in bundt pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve with butter sauce.

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Butter Sauce:

½ cup salted butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup light cream

1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat. Bring to boil. (I’m a sucker for caramel, so I like to slowly cook this for a few minutes until it begins to caramelize and turn golden brown, but you can skip this step and leave it light-colored if you want.) Pour in cream, stirring rapidly, and slowly bring back to boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve warm over cake (either drizzled over the whole cake, or individually on the side).

Variation: For a “Banana Date Dream Cake” version, substitute 2 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas for the apple pie filling, and add 1/4 tsp nutmeg.