Date and Walnut Cake

 Ingredients

•125g dates (pitted)

•150g walnuts (in small chunks)

•300g self-raising flour

•300g soft butter

•4 eggs (beaten)

•300g light brown sugar

•½tsp cinnamon

•Milk (to achieve a soft dropping consistency)

 Method

 

·         Prepare the dates and the walnuts. Remove the stones from the dates and cut into pieces, break up the walnuts into smaller chunks. Blend with the flour and cinnamon and let rest.
·         Cream the butter with the sugar in a bowl, then beat in the egg
·         Add the flour, spice and date and walnut to the creamed mixture and stir well but gently. Do not over stir.
·         Obtain a soft, dropping consistency with a small amount of milk added if needed.
·         Put mixture into a 9 inch round spring form tin (line bottom with greaseproof paper)
·         Bake at 16oC for 1 1/2 hours on the middle shelf (150oC for 1hr 15 min fan oven)

Verdict – cooked well but might benefit from a tablespoon of Golden syrup added after the flour has been added to retain a little more moisture but omit the mlk if you do this. Some other older recipes soak the dates in orange juice and 1tsp of bicarbonate of soda but not sure about that as modern dates are pretty good and usually quite soft.