Eggless Milkless Date Nut Cake

This recipe is easy-peasy to make vegan by subbing margarine or oil for the butter and leaving off the whipped cream. "This recipe is quite old, and is traditionally a Christmas dessert. I have taken it to several LLL meetings and always get requests for the recipe." - Janice Trevail of Catskill, NY. This recipe was published in the La Leche League International cookbook, Whole Foods for the Whole Family.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 9
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 1  cup  coarsely chopped dates
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts
• 1⁄3-1⁄2 cup sugar or 1⁄3-1⁄2 cup honey
• 1 1⁄4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup boiling water
• 1  tablespoon butter or 1  tablespoon margarine or 1  tablespoon  oil
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  cups  whipped cream, to garnish,if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 8" or 9" square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine dates, walnuts and other dry ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, mix water, butter and vanilla.
4. Add water mixture to date mixture and mix until just moistened.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and cake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Serve warm or cold; plain or topped with whipped cream.