Baja Date Cake

On a whim, I decided to do some baking. TheWife made sure to poke fun at me, "Baking? You? Let's not forget the cornbread fiasco of '02." Ha ha. To that I say, eat this: my Baja Date Cake. I don't know why it's called "Baja" but I must say, it was delish. Very simple and easy to make, which is a plus on the MIA front. There is no milk and no eggs. Don't be afraid of the mayo. We're just using mayo for the fat instead of butter or vegetable oil or shortening. It works ... trust me.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Dates, chopped
  
• 1 cup hot water
  
• 1/2 cup Pecans, toasted
  
• 2 cups All-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup Sugar
  
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
  
• 1 cup Mayonnaise

In a bowl, cover the dates with the hot water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and the dates plus the soaking liquid. Stir and mix through. Do not whip or overmix.

Bake in overn for 55 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean. Cool for 5 minutes then turn out on a wire rack. When cool, dust the top with confectioner's sugar. Serve. Enjoy.