Ingredients:
- Sugar: 1.5 cups or 330grams
- Almond Paste: 9 oz or 256 grams (preferably NOT canned)
- Soft Butter: 9 oz or 256 grams
- 8 whole eggs
- AP Flour (Sifted) 1 ½ cups or 225 grams
- Baking Powder 1 ½ tsps.
- Dates 6 oz
- Colombo Marsala Wine (sweet) ½ cup
Instructions:
- Slice dates in half, remove pits, and soak them overnight in the ½ Sweet Marsala wine
- Next day, in a stand mixer, combine sugar and almond paste. Turn on medium speed and allow mixing until almond paste is small bead size.
- Meanwhile strain and separate the dates and the Marsala. Chop the dates into smaller pieces.
- Add butter and cream into the sugar mixture.
- Next add the eggs one at a time slowly. Also add the extra Marsala wine that strained from the dates at this point. Stop the machine and scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure all the butter is off the bottom of the bowl.
- Next add the flour and baking powder slowly as the mixer is on low speed.
- Now add the chopped dates.
Baking:
- Oven temp 325 F
- If baking on a sheet tray, line it with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
- Spread the batter out evenly and bake for 18-20 minutes, spin half way.
- If baking in a loaf pan, spray the pan and put batter in evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, spin halfway and bake another 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and internal temp is 204F.
