This is one of my favorite recipes because it's soft, moist, and full of cinnamon flavor. The coffee cake also is low in refined sugar--it's sweetened with date paste and applesauce--and high in fiber, protein, and nutrients. The cake makes a welcome dessert for diabetics and anyone else concerned about their health and nutrition. The first day you serve it, the cake tastes great, and it gets even better if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Unlike many "diabetic desserts," this one calls for ingredients that are readily available and comparatively inexpensive. You can serve the cake plain, but I like it best topped with the simple, not-too-sweet cream cheese icing. Try the cake for dessert or for a snack with a cup of coffee or tea. It really is good. Enjoy!
Low-Sugar Cinnamon Date Coffee Cake -- Serves 6 - 8
1/2 cup of pitted dates
1 large egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
2/3 cup of low or no-sugar vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup of oat flour (grind regular quick or old fashioned oats in a blender or food
processor)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch round spring-form pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray. In a microwaveable cup put the dates and enough water to just cover the dates. Microwave the dates/water for 1 - 2 minutes and then let the dates stand/cool while you mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, whisk together well the egg, oil, yogurt, and applesauce. Add the flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/4 cinnamon to the wet mixture and whisk everything together until blended. Pour half of the batter in the prepared pan. With a fork, mash the dates/water well (the dates should have absorbed most of the water) and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the date mash, mixing in the cinnamon well. Dollop the date puree on top of the batter in the pan. You can spread the date mixture out a bit if you'd like, but you don't have to be too precise. Dollop/spread the remaining cake batter on top of the date puree. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the batter. Bake the cake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is just firm to the touch and the sides have begun to pull away from the edges of the pan. Let the cake cool and top with the cream cheese icing below or just dust the cake with a little cinnamon. Store the cake in the refrigerator.
Cream Cheese Icing
2 ounces of light (neufchatel) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
