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I have a cake recipe, which is based on a mixture of 250 g dates and 200 g almonds, which is mixed in the end. Can I use dried dates instead of fresh ones?

The full recipe is, for 10-12 pieces:

  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 200 g almonds
  • 250 g dates (without seeds)
  • 200 ml water

  • 40 g cocoa

    1. Heat the oven at 175 °C
    2. Beat the egg yolk and egg white separately. Crush the almonds to powder; give dates, water egg yolk and cocoa into and mix it. Gently fold the egg white in.
    3. Bake it for about 20 minutes.

The recipe is named "Klitschkuchen" in Germany, which roughly means "very wet cake", but unfortunately I don't know a real English translation.

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  • Welcome to SA! Please include the full recipe so that we can better answer your question.
    – Catija
    Mar 4, 2016 at 18:15
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    Just curious... are you actually certain that the recipe calls for fresh dates? In the US, anyway, most recipes calling for dates mean dried dates because that's the standard way we get them here... I've never even seen a fresh date in person.
    – Catija
    Mar 4, 2016 at 18:26
  • Perhaps if there's a name for this dish that would help? We could find similar recipes? This recipe doesn't even say how to prepare the dates for usage... presumably fresh dates would need to be pitted and chopped/crushed, possibly skinned... Even if the dates are intended to be dried, I would imagine some other instructions are missing...
    – Catija
    Mar 4, 2016 at 18:28
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    mrsflury.com/bester-schokoladenkuchen-ohne-zucker This certainly looks like it's being made with dried dates.
    – Catija
    Mar 4, 2016 at 18:32
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    These are fresh dates. In Germany, you might get them from Turkish groceries around November (might be a good idea to ask them). At first, they have a resinous texture but open up their full flavor as you chew them.
    – Arc
    Mar 4, 2016 at 20:01

2 Answers 2

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I live in Egypt, a date-producing country, and even here we use dried dates rather than fresh ones. For one thing, they are sweeter. I would recommend chopping then soaking the dried dates in hot water for half an hour or so, to soften them. The recipe you quoted includes water: you could probably use this water.

Dates prepared in this way do make for a very moist cake: here is a typical recipe. http://www.thestickman.me.uk/recipes/Date%20and%20tamarind%20cake%20%28dried%20dates%29.html

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Based on similar recipes for this cake, it looks like "dates" actually means "dried dates".

Here's an example with a video.

I don't speak German so I don't know what's being said but those are certainly dried dates.

So... not only can you use dried dates for this recipe, you should use dried dates!

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    Well, I happen to speak German, so +1. Completely irrelevant side note: that's Austrian German, just in case anyone wonders why she has the same accent as a famous actor / former US governor ;-)
    – Stephie ♦
    Mar 4, 2016 at 19:43
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    In Germany, the only Dates that are available at the stores are preserved one way or other - dried and/or sugared - so using dried dates in a German recipe is certainly the right thing to do. I've eated dates straight from the tree in Tunisia and the difference to dried dates is small - the dried ones are a little sweeter - so you'd be fine with either no matter which was meant in the recipe. Just don't use sugared dates in a dish that isn't meant to be sweet.
    – Sumyrda - remember Monica
    Mar 5, 2016 at 7:36

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