International Cake Day: Celebrate your love for cakes with these delicious recipes

On International Cake Day, here are two chef’s specials and (so far) secret recipes for you to whip up in your kitchen.

In their oldest forms, cakes were generally modifications of breads but they now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate and which share features with other desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards and pies. So immense is the popularity of cakes now that November 28 is celebrated as International Cake Day every year.

Cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate. (In picture) A triple layer chocolate caramel cake. (Getty Images)

Bassel Ibrahim, executive chef at The Seven Sands, a leading restaurant in Dubai, shares two of his own personal, and (so far) secret favourite recipes for you to whip up in your kitchen this Cake Day.

Date Pudding

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 10 people

Ingredients: Flour: 250g, brown sugar: 112g, salt: 2.5g, corn oil: 150ml, whole eggs: 5, dates: 250g, bicarbonate of soda: 10g, butter: 125g, cream: 500ml

Serve date pudding with toffee sauce and sprinkle some almond flakes. (Shutterstock)

Directions to prepare

1. Cook the dates and bicarbonate soda to a paste. Let it cool.

2. Use a dough machine to mix the eggs with the brown sugar for 5 minutes. Add the cooked dates, flour and corn oil. Mix them all for 5 minutes.

3. Place the mixture in a cake tray, and let it bake for 25 minutes at 160 degrees C.

4. To prepare the toffee sauce, in a saucepan, combine the cooking cream, brown sugar, butter, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.

5. Cut the date cake into small cubes. Top with the toffee sauce and sprinkle some almond flakes.

Khabeesa

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 10 people

Ingredients: Flour: 1000g, sugar: 250g, saffron: 2g, cardamom powder: 75g, alia Ghee: 100g, rose water: 150ml, pistachio julienne: 20g, corn oil: 200ml, sultana raisins: 20g, kunafa dough: 75g, water: 500ml, date syrup: 400g

Khabeesa is best served warm with raisins, roasted kunafa dough and date syrup. (Photo courtesy: milkmaid.in)

Directions to prepare

1. In a pot, roast the flour until it becomes golden in colour. Sieve it with a fine siever.

2. In another pot, caramelise the sugar until golden, add water, rose water and mix the ingredients well.

3. Add the roasted flour slowly, mix well with wooden spoon and add cardamom powder.

4. Add ghee and corn oil slowly, and finish with saffron

5. Cover the mixture for 20 minutes.

6. Serve warm with raisins, roasted kunafa dough and date syrup, topped with pistachio julienne.

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