Soft, fluffy and studded with dates and walnuts, this date and nut loaf cake is delicious all year around.
Although this recipe is rather easy to put together, it carries a medley of flavour, courtesy of the rum and dates, which add rich, caramel undertones to this loaf. The walnuts add a nice crunch, but feel free to replace them with any other nut of your liking, think pecans or the likes.
The cake itself is rather light and soft, more so than a banana bread, though its appearance resembles the latter more closely. It’s lovely with a cup of tea or coffee, and I find that it tastes even better the next day. This recipe is similar to the base of a sticky toffee pudding [1] with a slightly more complex flavour. Like a sticky toffee pudding, you can accompany the date and nut loaf with caramel sauce should you wish. I’d recommend my favourite salted caramel recipe [2], embedded in my salted caramel whisky truffles post.
Let’s talk about details for this date and nut loaf recipe.
The better the dates, the tastier the cake. I like to use Iranian or Medjool dates [3], a nice plump kind will do well. Though drier dates are also fine, just as long as they taste good.
If you like, you can replace the dates with dried apricot or prunes, but you won’t have the same sweet caramel undertone.
Rum takes this date and nut loaf cake to the next level. If you’re concerned about the alcohol in the recipe, it evaporates when baking, but leaves a delicious, bittersweet hue behind. Try it.
But, if you’d really like to opt out, you can replace the rum with hot water or coffee.
This recipe calls for both, baking powder and soda. I wouldn’t advise you to replace one with the other since they have different properties. But, if you’re wondering what the difference between baking powder and baking soda [4] is, I’ve written all about it here [4].
This date and nut loaf will entice, slice after tender slice. And without further ado, the recipe. Let me know how you like it!
Very loosely adapted from Genius Recipes [8]
And that’s all, folks! Enjoy this scrumptious date and nut loaf recipe.
Here are some more recipes you might like:
URLs in this post:
[1] sticky toffee pudding: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2016/12/sticky-toffee-pudding.html/
[2] favourite salted caramel recipe: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2016/02/whisky-salted-caramel-chocolate-truffles.html/
[3] Medjool dates: https://capitaloneshopping.com/p/terrasoul-superfoods-organic-med/ZKZPRDQK2B
[4] difference between baking powder and baking soda: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2016/08/baking-soda-vs-baking-powder.html/
[5] Print Recipe: https://hotchocolatehits.com/wprm_print/22160
[6] Pin Recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2F2021%2F03%2Fdate-and-nut-loaf-cake.html%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2Fdate-and-nut-loaf-cake.jpg&description=Date+and+Nut+Loaf+Cake&is_video=false
[7] Rate Recipe: #commentform
[8] Genius Recipes: https://www.food.com/recipe/date-walnut-loaf-51281
[9] Pumpkin pie: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2016/11/ultimate-pumpkin-pie.html/
[10] No-bake hazelnut chocolate fridge cake: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2016/05/no-bake-hazelnut-chocolate-cake.html/
[11] Pear crumble: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2021/11/delicious-easy-pear-crumble.html/