I absolutely adore the Panera Bread Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake. The cake itself has the perfect crumb and is just the right amount of sweet. I recreated something similar to it but with a soft date filling instead. Sometimes I have an idea and I execute it and it’s a disaster. Other times I have to keep refining it. This was just perfection from Day 1. You really need to try this recipe out.
The cake is perfectly soft. Perfectly spiced. The date filling has a hint of coffee to it and is so smooth. It pairs so well with the plain cake. Then you add the topping, and OH. MY. GOD. I’m telling you, don’t sleep on this. This may sound like the weirdest cake, but it is truly amazing!
Date Swirl Coffee Cake
A soft and moist crumb cake with a sweet and delicate date swirl. Topped with a perfect streusel. This gave me all the Ramadan and Maamoul Vibes. A must try cake.
Ingredients
CAKE
1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
12 tbsp softened butter
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mahlab (optional)
1/4 tsp ground mastic (optional)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
DATE SWIRL
13 oz baking dates (I use this one)
1 shot of espresso or 1/2 tbsp instant coffee in 2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tbsp ground anise
TOPPING
1/2 cup semolina
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp ghee or oil
1/4 cup Milk
OR use the streusel from THIS recipe.
Instructions
Mix the flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, mahlab, mastic, and nutmeg together. Add the butter and mix until it resembles fine peas. This is a reverse creaming method. I used the paddle attachment on my mixer.
Add the eggs and oil to the milk and whisk well. Slowly drizzle it in and beat your batter. Make sure to scrape the bowl because it will stick to the bottom and you want it to cream evenly or you’ll get lumps. Once you add all the liquid, beat until the batter is fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
Add 1/2 the batter to a buttered and floured 10 inch springform pan. Beat the date paste, ground anise, espresso, and a few tbsp of the remaining batter till smooth. Spread this over the batter in the cake pan. I like to dollop then spread. It’s much easier and more even.
Top with the remaining batter. For either streusel, mix all the ingredients together and crumble it on top. You can also add nuts if you’d like.
Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes. Allow to cool and then remove and top with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Yasmeen
This cake is perfect! It makes me never want to make maamoul again because it tastes the same but it’s the lazy way lol. The crumb is the best part! So easy to make and everyone loved it. Will def make again, personally I like the date section to be a little thinner than I did the first time but easy fix!
Nur Ashour
Sahtain!
Zain
Amazing! We weren’t in the mood for ka3k (given the genocide) but still wanted a treat for Eid. This hit all those great notes and flavors without all the work and endless maamoul cookies.
The date swirl never sat in the middle for me (it simple sank to the bottom). Any idea how to fix that for next time? Still amazing but would love that cross section like yours.
Nur
Thats so strange! It’s never sank with me before. I’ll def look into it. Glad you loved it regardless.