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Turkish Coffee Cake with Dates is layered with a deliciously soaked cardamom sponge, a luscious mascarpone filling, and sweetened dates. It’s basically an alcohol-free tiramisu made with sponge instead of lady fingers, and with tasty flavors of cardamom, coffee, and dates with a hint of orange.
This cake might not be the simplest of cakes to make, but its texture and flavor are definitely worth the process. It’s great to prepare for the weekend. Soaking the sponge in coffee syrup (like traditional tiramisu) means that it won’t dry out and will keep for days. You’ll definitely be successful at making it with my helpful tips below!
What do I love most about this cake? Date and Arabic/Turkish Coffee flavors are infused throughout by using them in every component. It’s truly a crowd favorite, and it’s sure to be a hit at your next gathering, or even just with your own family.
Ingredients
All purpose flour — Any all purpose flour will work as the base of the cake layers
Baking powder — Baking powder is the rising agent for the cake.
Eggs — Any large eggs that you enjoy eating are perfect. You’ll use eggs in the sponge and egg yolks in the filling.
Sugar — Sugar provides sweetness and interacts with eggs to provide stability.
Vanilla — Vanilla adds a delicious flavor.
Cardamom — Cardamom is a key component of Arabic/Turkish coffee, and I love its flavor here.
Sugar — One of my favorite ways to flavor and sweeten at the same time is to infuse a simple syrup. In this case, sugar and water is simmered with dates and oranges.
Dates — Dates are a fruit that grown on specific palm trees in dry climates. They’re cultivated and dried, and that’s how we generally find them in the supermarket. There are all different varieties. I love Medjool for its soft texture and flavor, but any kind will work well. After you simmer them in water, you’re going to strain and use the dates between the cake layers.
Oranges — Along with a date syrup, you’re going to make an orange syrup by simmering oranges with sugar and water. Leftover syrup can be used in drinks and so much more.
Instant Coffee — Instant coffee in the soaking syrup ensures that the coffee flavor is truly throughout the cake. I use Nescafe, but if you have a favorite brand, that’s fine too. You’ll also add some to the mascarpone filling.
Mascarpone — Mascarpone is the main component in traditional tiramisu filling. It’s luscious, creamy, and fairly neutral flavored, making it the perfect vehicle for all of these other flavors.
Whipping Cream — You’re going to whip heavy cream with a stand mixer until stiff peaks form, and then you’ll fold it into the mascarpone mixture. It makes the filling super light and airy. Whip additional cream to pipe on top of the cake.
Method
Here’s the thing: there’s quite a few components to this cake. Each individual step is quite simple, so it may be helpful to split up the tasks over a few days.
First, make the sponge. Preheat the oven. Prepare an 8 or 9 inch cake pan by buttering the bottom and sides, cutting a piece of parchment on the bottom, spreading more butter, and sprinkling flour.
Beat the eggs in a stand mixer or using a hand beater. Add in the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until pale and fluffy. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar/vanilla mixture in thirds. They tend to sink to the bottom, so you really gotta dig in there to make sure it’s well combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and tap it a few times to get rid of all of the air bubbles. Slide into the oven and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes, depending on the cake pan.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Separate into 3 even layers with a long serrated knife. The cake can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Be sure to wrap well in foil or place in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature.
Make the orange syrup by simmering sliced oranges with water and sugar. Do the same with the pitted dates. Strain both and allow to cool completely. Combine some of the date, orange syrup, and instant coffee to make the soaking syrup.
For the mascarpone filling, separate the egg yolks. Over a bowl, crack the eggs and move the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves until the yolks are completely separated and no whites remain. Transfer the yolks to the bowl of a double boiler or a stand mixer bowl. Reserve the whites for another use.
Add the cooled date syrup, sugar, instant coffee, and cardamom. Set a small to medium pot with about 1 inch of water over high heat. Set the bowl with the egg yolk/date syrup mixture on top. Beat continuously with a hand beater or with a whisk until thick ribbons form, about 7 minutes with a whisk, about 6 minutes with a hand beater. Cool this mixture completely (very important).
Once it’s cool, add in the mascarpone (cold, straight from the fridge) and beat until well combined and thick, but don’t over mix. Transfer everything to a bowl and clean out the mixer bowl. Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the mascarpone mixture.
To assemble, it’s helpful to have a cake collar or the springform of a springform pan, closed. Lay one layer of the sponge. Coat generously with the soaking syrup using a pastry brush. Cover with 1/2 the dates and 1/3rd of the filling. Lay another layer of cake on top. Cover again with syrup, the rest of the dates and more filling. Repeat with the third layer, this time without the dates. When spreading the top layer of filling, release the spring on the springform pan, if using. Make sure the filling goes all the way to the edge of the cake and spread evenly.
Decorate the top with piped whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chocolate covered espresso beans, and/or flowers.
Helpful Tips
If you can, spread the tasks out over 2-3 days to make this feel less time consuming. Make the cake and syrups on the same day, and then the next make the filling and assemble.
When slicing the sponge into layers, use a long bread or serrated knife and turn the cake around in a circle as you cut. Don’t worry if the layers aren’t perfectly even.
Before you add the mascarpone to the thickened egg/sugar/date syrup mixture, make sure the mascarpone is straight from the fridge and the thickened mixture is completely cool.
When mixing the mascarpone in, bring the stand mixer up to high, but slowly, to avoid the mixture getting too warm.
Don’t over mix, which will cause to get runny. Once it’s combined, stop the stand mixer.
If the filling does get a bit runny, that’s ok! It will still be delicious.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
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Turkish Coffee Cake with Dates
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c/150 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 c/200 g sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 c/200 g sugar
- 1 1/2 c/375 mL water
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1/2 c/100 g sugar
- 2 c/473 mL water
- 10 oz/300 g pitted and chopped dates
- 1 c date syrup (see above)
- 1 c orange syrup (see above)
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 c/67 g sugar
- 2 tsp instant coffee
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 c date syrup, cooled
- 16 oz/500 g mascarpone
- 1/2 c/118 mL heavy whipping cream
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings, frozen slightly so they don't melt to the touch
- Chocolate covered espresso beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/180° C.
- Prepare an 8 or 9-inch cake pan with butter. Cut a piece of baking paper the size of the cake pan and line the bottom of the cake pan with it. Cover with butter again. Sprinkle with flour and tap out the excess.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a hand beater) on high speed, beat the eggs until pale and thick, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until light, fluffy, and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes more.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over wet ingredients in 3 stages and mix thoroughly, being sure to really scrape the bottom, because the dry ingredients tend to sink.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, tapping out any air bubbles. Bake until the cake springs back a bit when you gently press it, it starts coming off the edges, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes.
- Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes before taking out of the cake pan and cooling on a wire rack completely.
- The sponge can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep wrapped in foil or in an airtight container on the counter.
- Bring all of the ingredients in a medium-sized pot up to boil over high heat.
- Lower and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Strain, discarding the orange.
- While you make the orange syrup, in a separate pot do the same with the date syrup ingredients. Simmer them for about 3 minutes.
- Strain, reserving the dates.
- Combine 1 c orange syrup and 1 c date syrup in a small pot and bring to a simmer.
- Add the instant coffee and stir until it dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.
- Separate the egg yolks. Get a stand mixer bowl or top of a double boiler ready. Over another medium-sized bowl, crack the egg, catching the yolk in 1 half of the shell. Move the yolk back and forth between the 2 halves until no whites remain, and transfer the yolk to the stand mixer bowl. If a yolk falls in with the whites, and you can't fish it out, that's okay, just grab another egg from the fridge.
- Add the sugar, cardamom, instant coffee, and date syrup.
- Fill a small to medium-sized pot with about 1 inch of water. You want the stand mixer bowl to fit in the pot, but not so much that it sits on the bottom. Alternatively, use a double boiler.
- Put the stand mixer bowl on top of the pot and put the whole thing over high heat. Whisk the mixture continuously or beat using an electric hand beater until it forms thick ribbons, about 6-7 minutes.
- Cool the mixture completely either in the fridge or on the counter. This is super important for the filling to come out thick and luscious.
- Add the mascarpone and whip, bringing the stand mixer up to high speed slowly, for about 1-2 minutes until well combined. Be sure not to over mix so the filling doesn't come out runny (if you over mix a bit, don't stress about it).
- Transfer the mascarpone mixture to a large bowl and wash the stand mixer bowl.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold it into the mascarpone mixture.
- Separate the sponge into 3 layers using a long bread or serrated knife.
- On a plate or cake stand, place the first layer and a cake collar or the outside of a spring form pan to guide your layers.
- Cover generously with about 1/3 of the soaking syrup. Spread 1/3 of the mascarpone filling on top evenly all the way to the edges. Cover with half the dates.
- Repeat with the second layer of cake, now 1/2 of the remaining soaking syrup, 1/2 of the remaining mascarpone filling, and the rest of the dates.
- Add the second layer of cake, the rest of the soaking syrup and mascarpone filling. Release the spring on the spring form pan, if using, and smooth out the mascarpone filling on top.
- To make chocolate shavings, peel a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler over a baking sheet and freeze so the chocolate doesn't melt to the touch.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings, piped whipped cream, and/or chocolate covered espresso beans.
- Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep covered with a dome in the fridge.