Date Coffeecake

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Blending quinoa's nutty flavor with spelt's very slightly sourdough flavor yields a very delicious, delicate cake. This lightly sweetened coffeecake is loaded with dates and touched with cinnamon. Dates and pecans create the streusel-like topping

Ease: average Type: breakfast, snack, dessert, brunch Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Yield: serves 8- 10

Cook's notes

Agave syrup is a sweetener derived from the succulent desert plant agave. It is made up of more complex carbohydrates than most other sweeteners so it minimizes "sugar rush." You can get it at Sun Organic.

Instead of grating the zest off of an orange, I get dried orange zest, in powdered form, from Sun Organic. It saves me a huge amount of time.

Ingredients

Topping
3/4 c pecans
3 t Sucanat
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 c date pieces or chopped dates

Cake Batter
3/4 c quinoa flour
1 1/4 c whole grain spelt flour
4 t baking powder
2 t orange rind
1 t cinnamon

1/4 c canola or safflower oil
1 1/4 c rice dream or milk
1/4 c agave syrup or light colored honey
1 t vanilla
2 large eggs
3 c whole pitted dates or 2 c date pieces

Steps

• Preheat oven, convection is preferable, regular okay to 325° F. Lightly oil a 9" bundt pan, even if nonstick.
• Whirl pecans and Sucanat in a food processor until finely minced and just beginning to turn slightly sticky. You do not want pecan butter! Remove to small bowl and blend with 1/2 c dates and 1/4 t cinnamon. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• To chop whole, pitted dates in the food processor, chill them well and inspect to make sure that they really do not have any pits. If by accident one pit gets into the food processor, it can burn the motor and be the end of your machine. Place the cold dates in the processor along with 1/2 c flour from the recipe. Whirl until the dates are finely chopped. Don't over-process, you don't want paste.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, (less the 1/4 cup used for the dates,) baking powder, orange rind and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl whisk oil, milk or rice dream, agave syrup, vanilla and eggs.
• Gently combine the wet ingredients to the dry until blended. fold in dates.
• Scrape into prepared pan right on top of topping. Bake for 45 minutes until golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out dry.
• Let cool completely before turning out of the pan.

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