Whole-grain date cake

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 350 g spelt or wheat
• 125 g butter
• 135 g honey, agave syrup or similar
• ¼ tsp anise powder
• ¼ tsp salt or less
• 2 egg yolks
• Butter, soft, for the mold
• 600 g apple, sour
• 250 g dried dates (or a standard packet from the fruit section)
• ½ lemon(s), untreated, grated peel and juice
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp cognac or rum
• 80 g oats (sprouted oats), crushed or flaked, alternatively or oat flakes
• 200 g hazelnuts, medium or finely ground
• 2 tbsp honey or syrup
• ½ lemon(s), juice
• 2 eggs, separated

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

For the 26cm springform pan. A bit time-consuming, but absolutely recommended.

For the shortcrust pastry, beat the soft (not liquid) butter with egg yolk, honey, and anise until fluffy. Finely grind the spelt or wheat, then sift out about 50 g of the coarse bran. Gradually stir the remaining 300 g of fine flour and the salt into the butter mixture. This will produce a soft dough. Cover and let it rest in a cool place for at least 30 minutes to expand. It will remain nice and pliable when lined with the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius (depending on the model). My oven heats very efficiently, so I prefer to use a lower temperature. For the filling, pit the dates and chop or slice them very finely. Core the washed apples and coarsely grate them with the peel. Mix with the dates, cinnamon, rum, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Press the shortcrust pastry into the greased springform pan and form a rim. Spread the filling over the pastry. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven. For the topping, beat the two egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in the honey, lemon juice, and the two egg yolks. Finally, fold in the prepared oats and nuts. Spread the topping over the pre-baked cake and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. Be sure to let the cake cool completely and don’t slice it until the next day at the earliest. It will develop its full flavor after 2 to 3 days. The recipe comes from my mother’s notebook from the 1980s. I recently baked the cake and we think it’s fantastic.