Pomegranate and Dates Pound Cake
Pomegranate and Dates Pound Cake recipe for Rosh HaShanah. While I do love my go-to honey cake recipe, and will make it every year, this time I really wanted to try out new flavors, so I made this very unique cake, which is perfect for anyone who enjoys a sweet and sour flavor profile (it’s very important to clarify it so you’d know what to expect!).
It also contains slivered almonds which add a little bit of crunch.
I highly recommend serving this cake with some whipped cream and top it all with some more pomegranate molasses- all of these elements beautifully balance and complement each other, and the result is a new dessert made out of a simple pound cake!
I also made this cake in other variations: gluten free, vegan, and vegan gluten free – so everyone is welcome to give it a try.
First published:
Last modified:
Pomegranate and Dates Pound Cake:
Equipment: A single loaf pan, 20 cm (l) x 11.5 cm (w) x 7cm (h), lined with parchment paper
Recipe: A single cake
For Gluten Filled + Gluten Free variation:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Orange Juice | 100g (Juice of One Large Orange) |
| Orange Zest | Zest of One Large Orange |
| Pomegranate Juice | 75g |
| Pomegranate Molasses | 50g |
| Brown Demerara Sugar | 80g |
| White Granulated Sugar | 40g |
| Canola Oil | 40g |
| Eggs | 100g (2 Medium Sized Eggs) |
| Date Spread (Raw) | 100g |
| Almond Meal | 75g |
| All Purpose Flour (or 1:1 Gluten Free Flour blend of your choice, for Gluten free version) | 135g |
| Baking Powder | 6g (1 + 1/4 tsps) |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Ground Cinnamon | 1 + 1/2 tsps |
| Ground Ginger | 3/4 tsp |
| Ground Cloves | 1/8 tsp |
| Slivered Almonds | 80g |
For Vegan + Vegan Gluten Free variations:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Orange Juice | 100g (Juice of One Large Orange) |
| Orange Zest | Zest of One Large Orange |
| Pomegranate Juice | 75g |
| Pomegranate Molasses | 50g |
| Brown Demerara Sugar | 80g |
| White Granulated Sugar | 40g |
| Canola Oil | 40g |
| Water / Soy Milk | 55g |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | 5g |
| Date Spread (Raw) | 100g |
| Almond Meal | 75g |
| All Purpose Flour (or 1:1 Gluten Free Flour blend of your choice, for Vegan Gluten free version) | 170g |
| Baking Powder | 9g |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Ground Cinnamon | 1 + 1/2 tsps |
| Ground Ginger | 3/4 tsp |
| Ground Cloves | 1/8 tsp |
| Slivered Almonds | 80g |
Preparation Method:
To make the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 165C (fan mode off), setting a baking rack at the lowest level of your oven.
- In a medium sized bowl thoroughly whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder and spices, and set to the side.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt and orange zest to extract the aromatic oils out of the zest.
- To the bowl with the sugars, add in the pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses and orange juice, and whisk well until most of the sugar is dissolved.
- Add in the eggs, oil and date spread and whisk to combine – at first whisk slowly to break down the date spread, until it eventually gives in.
- Add in the dry ingredients, and whisk thoroughly just until the mixture is smooth and without any lumps.
- Fold in the slivered almonds with a silicone spatula.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean. I like to take the cake out of the oven, after about the first 10 minutes of baking, or once you notice the cake’s top surface has stabilized, and using a small sharp serrated knife, score the middle of the cake lengthwise, cutting into the top crust. This will help the cake’s center dome in a more aesthetic manner. Then return the cake back to the oven to continue baking.
- Take the pan out on to a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool down 15 minutes before unmolding it, allowing it to cool down completely directly on the cooling rack.
Serving: I highly recommend serving cake slices along with some whipped cream, and glazing it with some more pomegranate molasses on top.
