Chocolate Date Cake

This is a great recipe!  I have made it a couple of times in the last week and since it can make an 8-10 inch cake its small enough that it doesn't last long with my family of four.

The dates are great because they help make this cake very moist, but yet they are completely undetectable in the finished cake.  My kids love this recipe; and my husband loves it too, but the hubby would probably not like it as much if I told him there where dates in it! :D

{Sorry, I'm not sure where I found this original recipe.}

I didn't want to make a pot of coffee,
so I just measured my hot water in my measuring cup
and stirred the coffee grounds into it;
let it sit for about 5 minutes and
then poured the coffee through a small sieve
over the chopped dates.

Ingredients:

-2 cups pitted dates, halved or chopped

-1 1/4 cup hot coffee

-2/3 cup butter, melted

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/4 cup brown sugar

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-2 eggs

-1 cup flour

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray an 8, 9 or 10 inch baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.

3. Place chopped dates in a bowl.

4. Pour hot coffee over dates and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cream together butter and sugars.

6. Beat in eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla.

7. Add flour and cocoa powder, beat until well blended.

8. Pour date and coffee mixture into a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender to puree the mixture completely.
9. Add the pureed mixture to the cake mixture.

10. Blend well.

11. Pour the cake batter into prepared baking dish.

12. Scatter the top of the cake batter with chocolate chips.

13. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

14. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  When cooled, you can remove cake from baking dish if desired.  {This is also delicious while still warm!}

15. Enjoy with ice cream, fresh berries or just by itself!