Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Bake

Sticky date cake with smoked caramel sauce

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Sticky Date Cake with Smoked Caramel Sauce

Soft date cake, smoky caramel and crunchy pecans, with cold ice cream alongside. This dessert comes from our Mat Blak masterclass. Charlie bakes the cake while you make the sauce. Sticky, warm and a good reason to leave a little space after dinner.

Mat BlakChef, Kai by matblak
Bake
Prep15 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Serves15 people
DifficultyMedium
Oven temperature180°C (355°F)
RackGreased baking dish on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack, middle rack
CharcoalHalf a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, plus 3 pieces of hot, lit charcoal for the sauce

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/blogs/charcoal-recipes/bbq-date-cake-with-smoked-caramel-sauce

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Ingredients

For the smoked caramel sauce

For the date cake

To serve

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

  • Charlie Charcoal Oven£5,950.00Choose your oven
  • Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal£96.50
  • Charlie Oven Cooking Rack£280.00
  • Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm£40.00
Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal, Charlie Oven Cooking Rack and Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm £416.50 together

Method

Setting up Charlie
  1. Build half a football of lumpwood charcoal and light it. Allow the oven to reach 180°C (355°F).
  2. Grease a baking dish or pan with butter and place it on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack in the middle position.
  1. Pour the double cream into a heavy based metal pan. Using steel tongs, carefully lift 3 pieces of hot, lit charcoal from Charlie and submerge them in the cream. Leave the cream to take on the smoke while you melt the butter and brown sugar in a second saucepan over a medium heat, stirring constantly so the mixture does not split. Strain the smoked cream into the sugar mixture and whisk. Return to the heat and cook for around 10 minutes, until the sauce is as thick as you like. Set aside.
  2. Heat the Charlie Oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease a baking dish and place it on the Charlie Oven Cooking Rack in the middle position.
  3. Place the finely chopped dates in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and leave to soak.
  4. In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  5. Fold in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the chopped pecans and the dates, along with their soaking water, and combine well. Fill the greased baking dish to within 2cm (¾ in) of the top.
  6. Bake in the Charlie Oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. Gently reheat the smoked caramel sauce in Charlie and pour it over the cake. Finish each portion with a pinch of Maldon salt, a share of the 75g whole pecans and 1 scoop of ice cream.

Tips

  • Use tongs to handle the hot, lit charcoal safely and drop it into the cream quickly to maximise the smoky infusion.
  • The smoked caramel sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated gently before serving.
  • Make sure the dates are Medjool or a soft variety for the best texture in the cake.
  • Test the cake with a skewer inserted into the centre. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  • This recipe comes from the Mat Blak Charlie Oven Masterclass, so feel free to experiment with your own garnishes such as whipped cream or fresh berries.

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The cook

Mat Blak

Chef, Kai by matblak

Mat Blak (Matt Burgess) is a New Zealand Māori chef with over 30 years' experience, from Soho House and Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill to Group Executive Chef at Caravan. He now runs his food consultancy, Kaiwhenua, makes the Blak Fire condiment and led Charlie Oven's Flavour Masterclass.

More recipes by Mat Blak

Frequently asked questions

  • How is the caramel sauce smoked?

    Lit charcoal goes straight into the cream. Using steel tongs, submerge 3 hot pieces of charcoal in the double cream. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a second pan, then strain the smoked cream into it, whisk and cook for around 10 minutes until thick.

  • How do I know the sticky date cake is done?

    Bake it for 30 to 35 minutes at 180°C (355°F) until risen and firm to the touch. A skewer pushed into the centre should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

  • Can I make the smoked caramel sauce ahead?

    Yes. The smoked caramel sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated before serving. Pour it over the warm date cake, scatter over extra pecans and serve with ice cream.

  • Which dates work best in a sticky date cake?

    Medjool dates or another soft variety give the best texture. Chop them finely, pour over the boiling water and leave to soak, then add them with their soaking water to the batter.