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Queen Elizabeth cake
Gâteau Reine-Élisabeth: date cake with a broiled coconut topping
CanadianQueen Elizabeth cake has been a favourite in Canadian homes and Quebec bakeries since the 1950s, especially around coronations and royal visits, and it still turns up at Montreal family birthdays and Sunday teas. A moist, tender date cake is baked, then covered in a bubbling coconut and brown-sugar topping and put under the grill until it caramelises. It is humble, rich and keeps well for days. A common mistake is walking away from the grill; the topping goes from golden to burnt in under a minute. Chef's tip: soak the dates in boiling water with the bicarbonate so they melt into the crumb.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the cake
- 7 oz pitted dateschopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 ⅝ oz buttersoftened
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the topping
- 2 ⅝ oz butter
- 5 ½ oz brown sugar
- 4 tbsp single cream
- 2 ⅞ oz desiccated coconut
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz pitted dates in a bowl with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and pour over 1 cup boiling water. Leave for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 23 cm square tin.
15 minStep 2: Beat 2 ⅝ oz butter and 5 ½ oz caster sugar until light, then beat in 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
5 minStep 3: Mix 6 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, and stir into the butter mix in two goes, alternating with the dates and their water. The batter is thin.
3 minStep 4: Pour into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
35 minStep 5: Near the end, boil 2 ⅝ oz butter, 5 ½ oz brown sugar and 4 tbsp single cream together for 3 minutes, then stir in 2 ⅞ oz desiccated coconut.
4 minStep 6: Spread the topping over the hot cake and put it under a hot grill, 15 cm from the heat, for 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until bubbling and golden.
4 minStep 7: Cool in the tin before cutting into squares.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does queen Elizabeth cake take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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