Date Cake with Spiced Tea

Ingredients

• 5 tea bags
• saffron
• ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon anise
• 1/2 tablespoon date paste or 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Caramel sauce:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons date syrup
• saffron to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Caramel sauce method:
• For more delicious cakes try this easy orange cake: How to make orange cake

Method

1. Place the tea bags, spices and saffron in boiling water for 5 minutes.. strain the liquid and put it with the date paste into an electric blender
   Timers: 5 min
2. Run the blender until you obtain a smooth mixture
3. Add room-temperature butter and brown sugar in the blender.. and whip until you get a creamy mixture
4. Start adding the eggs one at a time.. with a dash of vanilla
5. Add the flour and baking powder and beat for two minutes.. then add the date mixture and beat for about only one minute
6. Pour the date cake with spiced tea batter into a pan greased with butter and dusted with flour.. bake it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 180°C
   Timers: 45 min
7. Decorate the date cake with spiced tea with caramel sauce
8. Caramel sauce method:
9. Put the butter, sugar and molasses in a pot over the heat.. when they boil and bubbles appear, add cream and a pinch of salt and leave the sauce on the heat just a little
10. Let the caramel sauce cool well before using it to glaze the date cake with spiced tea immediately after it comes out of the oven