Ingredients

• 225g/8 ozs. chopped dates (do not use sugar rolled dates for this recipe)
• 150ml/5 fl. ozs. medium sweet cider
• 150g/5 ozs. caster sugar
• 25g/1 oz. honey (either runny or creamy)
• 225g/8 ozs. butter
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 275g/10 ozs. plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of ground mace (optional)

Method

1. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder (and mace, if using).
2. Put the dates, cider, sugar and honey into a large heavy saucepan, and bring slowly to the boil. Turn the heat down to simmering and cook, stirring, for about five minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
3. Dice the butter, drop it into the hot date mixture, and stir until melted. Put a lid on the pan, and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.
4. Pour the eggs into the warm mixture in the saucepan, and beat in.
5. Fold in the sifted flour mixture thoroughly.
6. Pour into prepared tin and bake for between 50-60 minutes.
7. When the cake is baked, put the tin on a cooling rack and let the cake get completely cold in its tin before taking it out and storing it in an airtight tin.

Baking

AGA - 2 OVEN: Cook in its tin in the Aga Cake Baker (preheated on the floor of the ROASTING OVEN) for 50-60 minutes.

AGA - 4 OVEN: Cook on lowest shelf of the BAKING OVEN for 50-60 minutes.

When the cake is cooked, place it, still in its tin, on a cooling rack. Leave for about 15 minutes, and then carefully turn it out of the tin on to the cooling rack, and leave to become completely cold before storing.