Butterscotch Tea Cake

It’s been raining for the last two days straight.  When it rains, and I can’t get out to work in my garden,  I curl up in a chair with a book.  By the middle of the afternoon, I start thinking about some sort of treat, to have with my tea.  I’m not a coffee drinker, I prefer tea, or chai, or roasted grain drinks that sort of taste like coffee.  So, I’m thinking tea cake.  

I’d bookmarked this recipe back in September from have cake will travel.  Her pictures looked so good and it was already a eggless/vegan recipe, I wouldn’t have to worry about adapting it and hoping it would turn out OK.  Anything with the word butterscotch in it always gets my attention.  

I changed a few things from the original recipe.  First, I used palm sugar since I didn’t have any Sucanat and palm sugar rates low on the glycemic scale. I also made the cake in a spring form pan instead of a loaf pan.  By changing pans, I was able to cut the baking time in half. (= use less energy and eat it sooner) I added some dates because I love them and I’d just bought a large container at an incredible price.  Medjool dates taste like little pieces of butterscotch.

I didn’t bother to frost the cake, since it was just for me and I don’t like overly sweet cakes.  If I was going to make this for friends, I might have decorated the top with little maple buttercream swirls...but it’s fine on it’s own.

A wonderfully moist butterscotch cake filled with dates and pecans....yum.  Now, where did I leave my book?

Butterscotch Date Tea Cake

Makes 8 servings - Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or whatever you use)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 

1 cube (stick) non-hydrogenated nondairy butter (Earth Balance)

1 cup coconut palm sugar (or sub raw sugar if you can’t find palm)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 small ripe banana

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 large medjool dates

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 350°

Mix the apple cider vinegar with the almond milk (it will cause it to curdle, that’s OK)

In a heavy saucepan on a low heat, melt the palm sugar and butter. 

Stirring constantly with a whisk for 4-5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and the almond milk mixture.

Allow this (butterscotch sauce) to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, salt and baking powder.

Pit and chop the dates into little pieces and mix by hand into the flour mixture.

Add the chopped pecans.

Put the butterscotch sauce and the banana into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into a spring form or cake pan.  (or you can use a loaf pan)

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

(If you’re using a loaf pan, bake for 60 minutes)

Allow to cool completely before cutting.