Recipe: Date-walnut cake with warm honey sauce

Ingredients

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) cake (soft-wheat) flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh Medjool dates or dried dates
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

For the sauce
1/2 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup dark honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the oats and boiling water. Stir to mix. Let stand until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, honey and canola oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Whisk to blend. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the dates and walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly. Transfer the cake to a serving plate.

To make the sauce, in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk and nutmeg and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the honey, raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

Cut the cake into 8 wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with the warm honey sauce.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving)