Olive Oil and Couscous Cake With Cream and Date Syup

A childhood favorite

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 1  cup flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup couscous (uncooked)
• 3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup rose water
• 6  egg yolks
• 3  eggs
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon  grated  orange peel
• 1 1⁄4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1⁄2 cup  date  syrup
• 12  dates, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brush 9-inch cake pan with olive oil.
3. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; stir in couscous.
4. Whisk olive oil and rose water in another medium bowl.
5. Beat egg yolks, eggs and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl until thick pale yellow; stir in orange peel.
6. Fold the flour mixture and the olive oil mixture into the egg mixture alternating between the two.
7. Pour the batter into the pan- tap gently to eliminate any air bubbles.
8. Bake cake until it is medium-dark brown and toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (approx 45 mins).
9. Cool on a cake rack for 30 mins.
10. Turn out onto a serving plate.
11. (Can be made a day ahead and stored covered at room temperature).
12. To serve:.
13. Beat cream until soft peaks form.
14. cut cake into wedges.
15. Drizzle cake with date syrup, cream and fresh sliced dates.