Date and Walnut Loaf

This is one of my favourite tea loaf, naturally sweetened with dates and studded with crunchy walnuts. It is dense and wonderfully moist, perfect with a cuppa. Like most old fashioned cake, it is the kind of treat you make for yourself because of it’s simplicity and takes no time to put together. But most of all, it is so very delicious . I’m pretty sure you will love this Date and Walnut Loaf as much as I do.

Dates are the sweet fruits of a type of dessert palm Phoenix dactylifera, mostly grown in Middle Eastern and African oasis. They have have become well known for their health benefits – said to contain high levels of anti oxidants and rich in fibre, and is now grown in Asia and even California. When fresh, dates are succulent and sweet. When dried, dates are even sweeter as the sugar content becomes more concentrated, which make them perfect as addition to desserts. By the way, date is derived from daktalos, the Greek word for finger, which the fruits resemble, albeit stubby.

Need more loaf recipes? Here’s another favourite Coffee and Walnut Loaf .

What you need to make Date and Walnut Loaf

Aside from the dates, most of the ingredients are probably already in your fridge or pantry. In our kitchen, we always have dates and walnuts. I keep an eye out for them when I grocery shop and buy them when they are on special. My better half the Persian Prince, who is originally from Iran munches on dates and walnuts together with his cup of tea- a very Middle Eastern custom. I have happily embraced the tradition , but of course I still prefer the Date and Walnut combo in a cake form as in this Date and Walnut Loaf.

• Dried Dates – You need pitted dried dates for this recipe. The seeds are easy enough to remove if you buy them unpitted. Make a slit on one side of each date and just pop the seed out.
• Fridge/Pantry – Butter,Eggs,Light Brown Sugar, Self Raising Flour, Walnuts,Cinnamon or All Spice Cardamom Baking Soda and Instant Coffee. I also use almond meal, but if you don’t have it, substitute with additional self raising flour. The almond meal adds a bit of nutiness and keeps the loaf moist for longer. I use brown sugar, but you can sub it with white, if that’s all you’ve got.
• Loaf Baking Pan – 13x 21 cm or Budnt Tin with similar volume. If using a smaller loaf pan, fill 3/4 full and use muffin pans for the rest of the batter.

Easy does it..

• Place the dates in a small saucepan, add enough water to cover( about 300ml ) and bring to boil. Remove the pan from heat and add the bicarb soda. Mix with a wooden spoon until mushy and the dates break apart. Don’t worry about some bigger pieces, they add texture. Add coffee brown sugar vanilla and butter and stir to mix. Set aside to cool. When the mixture is cool, mix in the lightly beaten eggs.
• Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add chopped walnuts.
• Use a spatula to fold the cooled date mixture into the flour. Do not over mix.
• Scrape the batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly scatter the whole walnuts on the top. Bake for a further 3o minutes or until done.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn out into a wire rack to cool completely. Use a pastry brush to glaze the top of the loaf with warmed up jam, or drizzle cold loaf with Caramel Glaze.

How to serve Date and Walnut Loaf

This date and walnut loaf is great as is fresh from the oven. If you want to go a little bit fancy, drizzle with the optional Salted Caramel Glaze. Needless to say, it’s sensational! Leftovers? Toasted golden ( or microwaved) with lashings of butter or my favourite, loaded with Cream Cheese.

Like most tea cake, this loaf is best on the day it’s made. However, it is easy enough to keep fresh- just store it in a covered container, and it will keep for a few days in room temperature. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and will keep for 3 months. Or slice into portions and wrap freeze individually, so you can then have a treat from frozen to toasted in minutes. So good for breakfast!

If you do make this recipe, please let me know via the comments section below. I would love to hear from you.

Date and Walnut Loaf

Recipe by Lola Adele

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Dessert, snackCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

The perfect Date & Walnut Loaf

Ingredients

• 300g dates, about 2 cups pitted
  1 1/2 cups water

• 1 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

• 1 teaspoon instant coffee

• 125g butter,melted

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour plus
  1/2 cup Almond Meal or substitute with 1/2 cup SR flour

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon or Allspice
  1 teaspoon Cardamom

• Pinch of Salt

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts plus a few whole walnuts to decorate on top

• Jam for glazing,Optional

• Salted Caramel Glaze

• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream

• 15g Butter

• Icing Sugar

• Sea Salt to taste

Directions

• Place dates in a small saucepan and add enough water just to cover the dates. Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add baking soda. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dates start to break down and become mushy. Don’t worry if some bigger pieces remain. Add coffee butter vanilla and sugar. Mix together and set aside to cool. Once cool, stir in the lightly beaten eggs.
• Preheat oven to 160°C. Spray a loaf pan ( 13×21 cm or a Bundt Tin with similar volume) with cooking oil. Line bottom and sides of pan with baking paper.
• Sift together the self raising flour, salt, cinnamon and cardamom into a mixing bowl. Add the roughly chopped walnuts
• Use a spatula to fold the date mixture from step 1, into the the flour until just blended. Do not over mix. Scrape batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
  
• Remove loaf pan from the oven and quickly scatter the extra whole walnuts on the top of the loaf. Return pan to the oven and bake for another 35 minutes or until the cake is done. Cake is cooked when the top is firm to touch. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then unmould into a cooling rack to cool completely.
  
• If not using the Caramel Glaze, brush the top of the loaf with a little bit of warmed up jam. Not only does it look pretty, but it also keeps the cake from drying out.
• Place in a serving plate, and drizzle the Salted Caramel Glaze (if using) on top.
• Salted Caramel Glaze, Optional
• Mix together butter cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to boil, over medium heat. Continue cooking until it thickens about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add icing sugar and stir with a spoon until the desired consistency is reached, adding more sugar as required.

Notes

• Will keep in a covered container for a few days, room temperature. Suitable to freeze for 3 months.Australian Measurements standards used.