Date Cake With Chocolate Ganache And Almond Praline Recipe
Recipe information
Make Date Cake With Chocolate Ganache And Almond Praline in just 2h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
Date Cake
Chocolate Ganache
Almond Praline
Assembly & Finish
Date Cake
1. Prep dates
Put the pitted dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them, stir in the baking soda, and let soak 15–20 minutes until very soft. Blend or mash into a chunky purée—some small pieces remaining is fine.
2. Preheat and prepare pan
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment or lightly dust with flour.
3. Cream butter and sugar
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer.
4. Add eggs and flavor
Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
5. Combine wet and dry components
Add the date purée and yogurt (or sour cream) to the butter-sugar-egg mixture and mix until combined.
6. Fold in dry ingredients
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Fold the dry mixture into the wet batter gently until just combined. Fold in chopped walnuts if using.
Almond Praline
9. Make caramel
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. In a medium heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat without stirring (swirl pan occasionally). Cook until the syrup reaches a deep amber color, about 8–10 minutes.
10. Add almonds
Quickly stir in the whole almonds and continue cooking one minute to coat and slightly toast the nuts. Remove from heat and stir in the butter (if using) and sea salt.
11. Cool and chop
Pour the hot almond praline onto the prepared sheet and spread thinly. Let cool completely. Once cooled, break into pieces and pulse briefly in a food processor to make coarse praline crumbs. Reserve about 30–40 g for garnish and the rest to scatter or fold into cake crumbs as desired.
Chocolate Ganache
12. Heat cream
Place chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a simmer (do not boil).
13. Make ganache
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit 1–2 minutes. Stir gently from the center until smooth and glossy. Stir in the butter and corn syrup (if using) until fully incorporated. Let cool to a slightly thickened but pourable consistency, about 10–20 minutes at room temperature — stir occasionally.
Assembly & Finish
14. Level cake (optional)
If the cake dome is uneven, level the top with a serrated knife so ganache will spread evenly.
15. Pour ganache
Place the cooled cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch drips. Pour the ganache onto the center of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it toward the edges, allowing it to drip down the sides. Work quickly while ganache is still pourable for a smooth finish.
16. Add praline
While ganache is still tacky, sprinkle reserved coarse almond praline over the top center of the cake and around the edges as desired. Press a few larger praline shards into the ganache for height.
17. Chill and set
Let the ganache set at room temperature for 30–60 minutes, or chill briefly (10–15 minutes) if you prefer a firmer finish. Avoid long refrigeration as it can firm the ganache too much and dull shine.
18. Serve
Transfer cake to a serving plate. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired, slice with a warm knife (wipe between cuts) and serve. Leftovers keep covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated up to 3 days (bring to room temp before serving).
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