Julie says ‘my mother used to make this cake for us as children and today it is still a favourite with my grown up sons’.
Date and Walnut Loaf.
Preparation and cooking time: 1 1/2 hours.
Ingredients:
- 8oz or 224g Chopped Dates
- 2oz or 56g Chopped Walnuts
- 6oz or 170g Granulated sugar
- 170ml Tap water
- 4oz or 112g Baking Margarine
- 8oz or 224g Self Raising Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda.
Method:
- Line a 1lb loaf tin
- Heat the oven to Gas Reg 3 or 140c or Fan 120c
- Place dates, walnuts, sugar, water and margarine in a large saucepan
- Bring to the boil stirring slowly all the time
- Simmer for a further 5 minutes
- Remove from the heat and fold in the sifted Self Raising Flour and Bicarbonate of soda
- Put the mixture into the lined loaf tin
- Bake slowly for 1 hour to 11/4 hours until a warmed skewer comes clean out of the centre of the loaf
- Allow to cool then slice
This cake is best left to ‘mature’ for a couple of days as it will become more sticky. It also freezes well as a loaf or as individually wrapped slices.