Let Him Eat Cake: Grandma Campbell’s Date Nut Cake
This cake has become my family’s favorite. My mother first baked it for us over thirty years ago. Many family members request it for their official birthday cake. This is not the usual fancy frosted cake. There is no frosting, sprinkles or any of the fancy decorations that adorn most birthday cakes. What makes this cake stand apart from most cakes? It is not overly sweet like most cakes. This cake can be made by children which makes it the perfect Father’s Day cake. Men usually don’t like fancy ingredients and tons of frosting. Try this cake for the special man in your life. I am sure it will become your family favorite, too.
Grandma Campbell’s Date Nut Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Batter mixture
1 cup chopped dates (using kitchen scissors will make “chopping” dates easier)
1½ cups sugar
6 ounces chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
1¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter softened
2 eggs beaten
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1¾ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups water brought to boiling
9×13 well greased baking pan (do not use sprays)
In a bowl sprinkle baking soda over dates. Pour boiling water over dates and soda, let cool.
While date mixture cools cream together butter and 1cup sugar. Add beaten eggs to butter and sugar, mix well.
Sift together the two cups of flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Slowly add these dry ingredients to the creamed butter and date mixture blending well. Pour into well greased 9×13 cake pan.
Tap pan lightly on table to level the cake mixture.
Topping
Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of date mixture.
Sprinkle walnuts over chocolate chips
Sprinkle ½ cup sugar over the walnuts and chocolate chips
Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Let cool after removing from oven, although it can be eaten warm. The cake is usually served from the pan. As a sheet cake it is not easily removed from the pan. This is personal preference. Enjoy!
Ever wonder when we started celebrating Father’s Day? Sondra Dodd lived in Spokane, Washington. While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in her local church she thought there needed to be a celebration for fathers too. She wanted to honor her father, William Smart, who was a Civil War veteran. William Smart was a windowed father who raised his six children on is farm.
After rigorous campaigning by Ms. Dodd the mayor of Spokane declared June 19, 1909 Father’s Day. This was the first celebration in America for Father’s day. Father’s day was met with hesitation until 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson supported the holiday. However, he did not proclaim it as a national holiday. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge also liked the idea of celebrating Father’s Day, but he like President Wilson did not declare an official Father’s Day. For over forty years America celebrated Father’s Day locally on a day that each community felt appropriate for them. It wasn’t until President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation making the third Sunday in June officially Father’s Day. However, other countries celebrate Father’s Day at different times. Mrs. Dodd died in 1978 at the age of 96.
What is really interesting about Father’s Day is some historians claim that celebrations for this day can be traced to a card found in the ruins of Babylon. A young boy named Elmesu “carved” a Father’s Day message on a stone “card” wishing his father good health and a long life. For more interesting facts on Father’s Day go to the site below.
http://www.fathersdaycelebration.com/fathers-day-history.html
Have a Happy Father’s Day.
