Date Rum & Orange Cake

Alternate name for this cake: The Christmas Cheat Cake. Because somehow, with a fraction of the time and ingredients, this emerged from the oven smelling like a loaded, boozy Christmas fruit cake. Maybe the rum-soaked dates have something to do with it? Or the copious amounts of fresh orange juice? Either way, this is a goooooood cake. I revisited this recipe recently and it’s even better than I remember!

• 280 gms pitted dates, finely chopped
• 4 medium oranges
• 1/4 cup dark rum (60 ml)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp clove powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup soft brown sugar, light or dark (105 gms)
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temp (55 gms)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg