Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 250 g medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 150 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 120 g matzo meal
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml neutral vegetable oil
- 60 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g orange zest, finely grated
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g kosher salt
Orange Liqueur Syrup
- 120 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 45 ml orange liqueur
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 468 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 45 g
- Sodium
- 107 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Potassium
- 317 mg
- Calcium
- 48 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 45 mg
- Phosphorus
- 121 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 36 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 33 mcg
- Water
- 37 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F. Lightly grease the 20cm springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, toss the chopped dates and walnuts with 15g (about 2 tablespoons) of the matzo meal. This prevents the heavy ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and 150g of granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale, slightly thickened, and thoroughly combined.
Gradually whisk the vegetable oil, 60ml of orange juice, and the orange zest into the egg mixture until completely emulsified.
Add the remaining 105g of matzo meal, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks of matzo meal remain.
Add the coated dates and walnuts into the batter. Fold gently until the mix-ins are evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 175 C / 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes.
While the cake is in its final 10 minutes of baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 120ml of orange juice and 100g of sugar. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the liquid slightly reduces. Remove from heat and stir in the orange liqueur.
Remove the baked cake from the oven. While the cake is still hot, use a wooden skewer to poke deep holes all over the surface. Slowly pour the warm orange liqueur syrup over the cake, allowing it to soak in before adding more.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour so it can fully absorb the syrup and set before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Medjool dates are heavily preferred for this recipe due to their natural caramel flavor and jammy, melt-in-the-mouth texture compared to drier Deglet Noor dates.
- Because matzo meal does not have the gluten structure of wheat flour, the cake relies heavily on the eggs for structure. Ensure your eggs are at room temperature so they emulsify properly with the oil.
- If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, substitute the orange liqueur with an equal amount of additional fresh orange juice mixed with a dash of orange blossom water.
- This cake is arguably better on the second day. The resting time allows the orange syrup to distribute evenly and the matzo meal to soften entirely, resulting in an almost pudding-like density.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container; the syrup keeps the cake remarkably moist over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap the fully cooled, soaked cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before freezing.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature, or warm gently in a 150 C oven for 10 minutes if desired.
Troubleshooting
All dates and walnuts sank to the bottom of the cake
Cause: Ingredients were not properly coated in matzo meal, or pieces were chopped too large
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking, but slicing the cake and serving it inverted hides the issue
Prevention: Chop mix-ins into smaller, uniform pieces and toss thoroughly with dry matzo meal before adding to the wet batter
Cake is crumbly and falls apart when sliced
Cause: Cake was sliced while still warm or insufficient syrup absorption
Fix: Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up before attempting to slice again
Prevention: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan to set the matzo meal structure
Syrup pooled on top and did not absorb
Cause: Cake cooled too much before syrup was added, or holes were not deep enough
Fix: Poke extra holes and return to a warm oven for 3-5 minutes to loosen the syrup and encourage absorption
Prevention: Pour syrup while the cake is freshly out of the oven and hot
Cultural Context
During Passover, Jewish dietary laws prohibit leavened grains, making matzo meal a foundational baking ingredient. This cake draws inspiration from Sephardic flavor profiles, notably the combination of dates, walnuts, and citrus, which strongly echoes the ingredients of Charoset. The use of an imbibing syrup is a classic Middle Eastern technique that transforms dense, unleavened cakes into exceptionally moist, luxurious desserts.
