It's a Date

Readers may recall that, overladen with bananas from jam-making and in the grip of a sudden baking frenzy, I decided to fabricate a recipe for sticky toffee pudding - adopting g/f flour and applying high ratio baking principles - from the current issue of Bon Appetit magazine. My first effort was excellent in terms of flavour and visual appeal, but the texture of the cake was not perfect: it was a tad too dry and heavy and there was a certain almost indescribable powderiness to the final product. It kept in the fridge not at all well and was a veritable brick after less than 24 hours.   

Of course, as I pointed out previously, it was only about half-way to being a proper high-ratio cake and I attributed this deficit to the dessert's shortcomings. Nudge that ratio up to two-thirds or so, I reasoned, and I would have something of which to be proud. I admit the science gets a little shaky at this point, but there is a certain amount of instinct involved in these things, after all.

I already had more liquid than sugar in the recipe, so that was satisfactory. My two remaining problems (from a high-ratio baking perspective, at least) were my excess of flour (over sugar, by weight) and fat (over eggs, by weight).

What could be simpler? I made the adjustments necessary to approach more closely my high-ratio goal: I reduced the amount of flour by 0.5 cups; increased the sugar by adding 2 tablespoons of the soft brown stuff, another banana, a handful of dates, and two tablespoons of orange juice (the extra liquid also helped combat the heaviness of the g/f flour); and added another egg. The final batter was much floppier than it had been for my previous effort, so I sifted in corn starch until I judged it had sufficient body to hold its shape when baking.

The result was absolutely delicious and great huge warm slabs slathered in butterscotch sauce were enjoyed by all. Science triumphs once again!

Gluten-Free Banana and Date Cake
(which becomes a pudding when served hot with Butterscotch Sauce)

• one and one-half cups King Arthur Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Blend (the only kind I use)
• one-half cup corn starch
• one and one-half teaspoons baking powder
• three-quarters of a cup of butter at room temp
• two-thirds of a cup plus two tablespoons soft brown sugar
• three large eggs
• four very ripe bananas (a little over a cup), mushed up
• two tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice (the original recipe called for a tablespoon of dark rum, but I didn't have any in the house. Note to self: must get some in advance of my gala Cheese-making and Caribbean Cocktail Convention)
• one and one-half teaspoons of vanilla extract
• around ten dates, chopped very small (the lack of dates in the original recipe was a crass oversight by the editors of Bon Appetit, in my opinion, as without them no recipe for toffee pudding is complete)

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Butter an 8 inch x 8 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter that too.

Toss the chopped dates with a tablespoon or two of the g/f flour and set aside (you don't want them sinking to the bottom of the cake, after all). Sift the remaining flour, corn starch, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into another bowl and set that aside.

With your electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and gorgeous. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the bananas, orange juice, and vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture in several batches, making sure the batter is well-mixed after each addition. Finally, fold in the chopped dates.

The batter should be nice and floppy: add a tablespoon of water or some more OJ if it seems too stiff. Pour it into the prepared pan and bake for half an hour or so, or until it's done.

Cool on a wire rack for thirty minutes or thereabouts, then slice and dollop with butterscotch sauce. The addition of some more sliced bananas or banana jam would also be most welcome, as would a spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream if you were feeling totally wicked.

Fresh from the oven the pudding is moist, squidgy, and completely addictive. Like many g/f cakes of my acquaintance (pumpkin cake is an exception) it won't keep more than a day or two in the fridge and should be heated up in the microwave before serving for optimum deliciousness.