1/2 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried dates
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar for decoration
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup rum pie filling
1/2 cup rum milk
1 cup pitted dates
3 bananas, chopped
2/3 cup peaches - peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 lime, zested
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped red grapes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the ripe dates, oats, flour, salt and cinnamon. Finally, stir in the dates and nuts.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
For the rum pie filling: In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup rum, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 0.1 cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir pie filling into creamed butter mixture. Cut in dates until pea-sized, about 3 tablespoons. Set aside.
For topping: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup dates and 1 cup frozen curd cream. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks into cream mixture until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, reserve remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cream in light syrup. Stir half of cream mixture into curd-based egg whites, then gently fold over white cake. Frost with rum pie filling.