Date and Walnut Loaf
This traditional British Date and Walnut Loaf has a dense, moist crumb packed with roughly chopped dates and walnuts. Simple to make with no mixer needed, it develops even more flavour and a slightly sticky top after a day or two.
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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 gently 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 completely in the tin.
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:
Dates: Whole pitted dates, roughly chopped, are my preference. Ready-chopped dates are often coated with a little rice flour to stop them from sticking and can make the mixture drier. If your dates are particularly dry, you may need a small splash of extra boiling water.
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.
Batter Texture: The finished batter should be smooth but not runny. If it seems unusually stiff after the dates have soaked, add a little extra boiling water before baking.
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