Food Monday ~ Date & Walnut Cake

This recipe takes me back. I first tasted it when Jack brought me to meet his extended family in Co Durham, England. I have made it regularly over the years and it proved very popular.

Date & Walnut Cake
Preheat oven to 160°C

8ozs Dates chopped
4ozs Caster Sugar
1level tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2ozs Butter or Margarine
Pinch Salt
1 Egg, beaten
6 fluid ozs Water
2ozs Walnuts
8ozs Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Vanilla essence

Place dates, sugar, salt, soda and margarine in a mixing bowl. Boil water, pour over dates etc. and mix well to melt the margarine. Cool a little. Add beaten egg, walnuts, flour & vanilla essence. Mix to a smooth batter type consistency. Pour into a greased & lined 2lb loaf tin. Bake for 1½ hours. Cool in tin.

Variation: Try apricots and almonds instead of the dates and walnuts.

14 thoughts on “Food Monday ~ Date & Walnut Cake

  1. Grannymar Post author

    @Lottie – Next week you can make it and come back with a review 😉

    @Deborah – The Date & Walnut cake would come between a Banana Cake and a fruit brack in colour.

    Reply
  2. Magpie 11

    Oh Boy ! Childhood memories…..

    Throw in some of those dark Glacé Cherries you can some times find…just for over indulgence’s sake!

    Talking of Childhood memories: My mother made sultana buns every week, she willingly gave away the recipe but no one could make them like she did. Even my sisters cannot to this day and she taught them. Didn’t like them myself, I had to eat one evry tea time, but everyone else raved about them. Especially her male friends.

    I womder what she did that made the difference?

    Reply
  3. Grannymar Post author

    Magpie

    It was a special stir of the ingredients with ‘mothers love’ that did it!

    Reply
  4. Baino

    Aww goodie. The only cakes I really do like are these heavy types, Date and Walnut, Banana, Carrot . . . Used to make date and walnut in a cylindrical tin for little circles of yumminess, daubed with butter whilst fresh out of the oven! I can smell it now.

    Reply
  5. Grannymar Post author

    @Baino – You will be happy for a couple of weeks so! 😉

    @Mike – A date and walnut cake ❓ 🙄

    Reply

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