Banana Date Espresso Icebox Cake with Tahini Magic Shell

A lasting romance, sparked in an unexpected place.

The first date I ever had was in the backseat of a Chevy Tahoe on a winding dirt road amongst the backwoods of western Michigan. Wait, wait… let me clarify.

Date trees belong to the palm family and grow throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Australia, South Asia and California. In the 1920s, eleven date trees were imported to the United States from Morocco. Soon, successful cultivars from the nine surviving trees were planted in California where they thrived in the semitropical climate and sandy soil.

The rarely seen fresh date. Crisp like an apple and milder in flavor.

California now grows a lot of dates. The state’s 2021 crop came in at 59,540 tons - harvested from over 15,600 acres largely spread throughout the Coachella Valley, nicknamed the “Date Mecca” of North America. These dates are dried and shipped throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. If you’ve had a nice plump date, it was very likely grown in California.

Living in the Bay Area and regularly attending farmers markets (shoutout to Clement Street!) you quickly learn that California not only has a rich bounty of dates but that there’s an entire spectrum of date varieties to explore and enjoy. There’s the rounded Barhi, the dark plum-colored Daryi, the super wrinkled Halawi, and my personal favorite - the jumbo and rich Royal Medjool.

The Royal Medjool - nature’s Snickers bar.

Where was I? Oh yes..

Climbing into the backseat of the dusty and soon-to-be cramped Tahoe with three fellow counselors in the parking lot of the fine arts summer camp where I would spend the next three months, the last thing on my mind was falling deeply in love. But there, just visible beneath the edge of the worn leather seat was the corner of a curious cardboard box embellished with the words “Oasis Dried Dates” in glowing goldenrod across a ruby red background. Below the name in smaller text read “Royal Medjool” - meaning nothing to me at the time.

Terrible at making small talk but skilled at asking questions about virtually anything, I asked the veteran counselor behind the wheel what was up with the box and what exactly was a “dried date”? His speed demon tendencies were on full display as we lurched and jerked through the densely wooded turns on the way out of camp but he nearly slammed on the brakes after hearing that I had never before tasted the dried delicacy he would go on to describe for his captive and captivated audience.

He offered immediately that I could -no- that I must eat one of the dates from the box. At first I was a little unsettled by how big and wrinkly they were. I half expected them to scurry around or leap from their container in response the sudden exposure to light. Once I realized I wasn’t looking at a box of critters, I selected a moderately plump specimen from the middle of the pile and took a bite.

I was rendered speechless as I tried to figure out how I had just been given a hunk of caramel parading as fruit. It was sweet but complexly so. It was supple with a pleasing chew. I knew I was hooked. The counselor was pleased that I enjoyed it so much and more pleased that I hadn’t chipped a tooth on the hard-as-rock pit that he had neglected to mention. I was offered more dates here and there almost anytime I saw that counselor, an appreciated respite from the camp’s cafeteria food and gas station snacks that constitute a summer of living in the woods.

Some scenes from the many summers at camp

When I returned home from camp I set about finding dates of my own. I searched stores near my apartment but didn’t have much luck. Knowing that I would never truly be well again unless I found more of these divine morsels, I did some research and eventually drove two hours to Dearborn and stopped at a store called Hashems where you can find spices, nuts, and specialty Arabic coffees. On a back shelf I found a box of dates that looked just like the one at camp. I checked the box for the magic words, “Royal Medjool” and smiled. I drove home with my newly acquired treasure chest riding shotgun, occasionally rolling down the window to spit out a date pit into the wind. Love, reunited.

If you’ve made it this far, you probably want a recipe!

I developed this icebox cake after being inspired by my favorite smoothie. I’ve had a version of this smoothie at several places but I’ve always appreciated how complex and rich each version is without being too sweet or as mouth-puckering as some smoothies/juices can be. The tahini and espresso (sometimes cold brew) temper the sweetness of the banana and dates and combine together to create a rich but cooling summer offering that i’m nearly always craving.

A few quick notes…

• I tried to make the espresso whipped cream with just date syrup but the result was too icy. Sugar, in the form of powdered sugar, helps to grab and hold onto water molecules preventing them from forming larger ice crystals.

• The banana cookies are closer to Nilla Wafers than the traditional graham crackers or Biscoff cookies usually seen in icebox cake recipes. I like that they’re softer and they remind me of banana pudding. Feel free to skip them or use your favorite cookie if need be. A chocolate cookie might be a good substitute!

• The tahini magic shell is made with tahini and coconut oil. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and will need to be melted before it becomes pourable. Make sure the mixture isn’t too hot before you spread it on the frozen cake and be sure to return it to the freezer to “set” before serving.

Banana Date Espresso Icebox Cake with Tahini Magic Shell

makes one 8x4 loaf cake

Banana Cookies

180g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

56g unsalted butter, melted but not hot