Date and Walnut Loaf
Deliciously easy cake, loaded with sticky dates and sweetly-rich walnuts. Date and Walnut loaf is the perfect tea time treat.
PRINT RECIPE
Servings: 10 slices
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g Dried Pitted Dates (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 85 g Block Margarine or Butter (at room temperature)
- 85 g Caster Sugar
- 120 ml Boiling Water
- 1 Free-range Egg (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 225 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 85 g Walnuts (roughly chopped)
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the dates,
bicarbonate of soda , margarine and sugar in a large bowl and pour over the boiling water. Mix to break up the margarine, and then set aside until the boiling water has cooled. - Meanwhile, line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with
greaseproof paper and preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 3 or 325°F). - Once the mixture has cooled, add the egg and walnuts, mixing through to combine. Sift in the flour and mix to create a batter.
- Transfer the batter to your pre-lined tin and bake in your preheated oven for about 1 hour. Keep an eye on your cake toward the end of baking, and if you think it's looking done on top, cover with a piece of
tin foil - this will stop the top from burning while the inside continues to bake. - Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Serve straight away, or for a better taste, keep the loaf in an airtight container for a couple of days before serving.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Egg Size: When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally, egg size doesn't make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.
Self-raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 225g (1⅔ cups) plain flour and 3 teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.
Storage: Date & Walnut Loaf should be stored in an airtight container and will keep for about 1 week.
Freezing: You can freeze Date & Walnut Loaf either as a complete loaf or in slices. Tightly wrap your Date and Walnut Loaf cake in cling film, then again in tin foil. To defrost, remove from the freezer and allow to warm to room temperature before eating. Do not re-freeze once defrosted, and do not leave it in your freezer for more than 3 months to avoid freezer-burn.
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