In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over dates and use a spoon to press dates into the water. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften.
Transfer into a small high-powered blender or a small food processor and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. This may take several minutes, depending on the power of your blender. Make this up to a month in advance and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight jar. You will use ½ cup of the date paste for this cake.
Spiced Banana Date Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 6-inch cake pans by lightly oiling them, lining them with a round of parchment paper, then lightly oiling and dusting the bottom and sides with oat flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, oat flour, millet flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the banana purée, oil, date paste, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until just combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
Divide between prepared baking pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes (checking after 30 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean and the top bounces completely back when gently poked. This is a very moist cake, so err on the side of baking too long if you're unsure. Let cool for a few minutes in the pans, then flip onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Make this up to a day in advance, wrap tightly in plastic, and store in the refrigerator.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter over medium speed.
Add the cream cheese and beat until completely smooth.
Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Depending on the temperature of your ingredients and your kitchen, you may find the frosting is a little soft. If this happens, just pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until it firms up but is still pipe-able!
To frost, spread about ⅓ -½ cup of frosting between the two cooled cake layers (I piped this to make it easy!). Use a little bit of frosting to create a thin crumb coat on the sides of the cake, scraping it almost all off. Add more frosting to the top and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Chill for 10-15 minutes. When chilled, transfer the remaining frosting into a large piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe three large dots up the side then use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten half the dot and repeat (see process pictures above). Slice and serve!
Notes
*Unless you have a small food processor or a small blender jar, I recommend doubling this recipe or there won't be enough dates to fill the jar to adequately blend into a paste.**I make my own oat flour by grinding gluten-free oats in my blender until fine and sifting.You can bake this as mini or full-size cupcakes. Fill the lined cupcake tray ¾ full and bake for 14-16 minutes for mini or 20-24 minutes for full-sized cupcakes, or until the cake springs back when touched with your finger.
This nutritional information has been automatically calculated, and as such, may be incomplete or inaccurate. Please reference the specific ingredients you use for the most accurate nutritional information.