Date and Walnut Loaf Cake
Soft, fluffy and studded with dates and walnuts, this date and nut loaf cake is delicious all year around.
Ingredients
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300 g dates, un-pitted pitted is approx. 250 g
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125 g boiling water
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60 g rum
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1 tsp baking soda
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150 g sugar I use Demerara, granulated is fine too!
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1 egg
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200 g (1⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
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100 g walnuts roughly chopped
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60 g butter melted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F and grease a loaf tin with butter, or line it with a loaf liner.
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Begin by pitting the dates. I like to do this by splitting the date in half and removing the seed.
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Once all the dates are pitted, chop them up into bite-size pieces, think the size of miniature chocolate chips. Use a sharp knife, it will make a big difference!
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Tip the chopped dates into large bowl, and pour in the rum. The rum is optional (see notes), but it adds a subtle caramel undertone to the loaf that you won’t want to miss.
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Let the date soak up the rum for a few minutes, you can also do this overnight for a more pronounced flavour.
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Next, pour in the boiling hot water (if you're omit the rum, just use ¾ cup boiling water instead.)
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Also tip in a teaspoon of baking soda, and just stir everything till incorporated. The mixture will become thick will emulsify slightly. Let it cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
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Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside.
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Now return to the dates, and add the sugar and the egg, mixing till well combined.
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Next, add the vanilla extract, followed by the nuts.
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Once combined, add in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
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Finally, stir in the melted butter. The batter will be rather thick, incredibly flavourful and beautifully fragrant.
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Pour the bater into the prepared loaf tin, and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, maybe with a few damp crumbs. If you notice the top of the loaf beginning to brown too quickly (this might happen after around 30-40 min), slide a piece of aluminium foil over the loaf tin and continue baking.
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Let the loaf cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Although this tastes wonderful warm, it actually has a more pronounced flavour the next day. I like to enjoy it with a cup of coffee, perhaps some butter on top.
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The loaf lasts about a week if sealed properly. You can store it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Notes
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If you don't have rum, replace it with boiling water or coffee instead.