first of all, let me say thank you in advance for your help. i've never used fresh fruit in my cake batter, just in my fillings. in any case, i am making my friend's wedding cake, and she has requested the entire cake be carrot cake, which i know takes longer to bake in general. her fiance has requested dates instead of raisins be used in the carrot cake instead. how much longer should i be adjusting my baking time when using a fruit like this? i intend to cut the dates into small pieces (like raisin size), but i would hate to keep opening my oven and checking to see if the cake is in fact done or not. please, please help! thanks again.