Date and walnut loaf

Date and walnuts in a loaf cake equals a stack of five-star reviews. This is an easy cake to make and a great one to have in the pantry for a mid-afternoon slice with a cuppa. Spread a thick layer of butter on a piece for extra indulgence!

How to make a date and walnut loaf: key tips

There’s no need for beaters in this easy loaf cake. You simply combine most of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then heat the butter, sugar, water and chopped dates in a saucepan so that the dates soften and plump up with moisture. 

You’ll definitely want to cool the date mixture before mixing it into the flour mixture and adding the egg, as you don’t want the batter or egg to ‘cook’ before it goes into the oven.

Pour the mixture into your loaf pan (you can grease and then line it with baking paper first, if you like) and then cook for around 40 minutes. Your date and walnut loaf is cooked when a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Key ingredients in this date and walnut loaf recipe

Quality pitted dates will give your loaf a rich caramel flavour and natural sweetness. Try not to chop the dates too finely, so that you have luscious sticky pieces to view and chomp into throughout every slice. 

The same goes for the walnuts – don’t chop them too finely so that you can enjoy the crunch. You can buy walnut halves and chop them or buy walnut pieces and just toss them into the batter.

Mixed spice is often added to a loaf containing dates as it enhances the flavour by providing warmth, depth and a touch of sweetness, complementing the natural sweetness of the dates. Adding a little bicarbonate of soda helps to create a fluffy texture, ensuring the loaf isn’t too dense.

You’ll also love these recipes using dates, as well as Grandma’s coffee, ginger and walnut cake.

This recipe was originally submitted by family foodie, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.