Date and Nut Loaf Cake
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 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, embedded in my salted caramel whisky truffles post.
Let’s talk about details for this date and nut loaf recipe.
Dates
The better the dates, the tastier the cake. I like to use Iranian or Medjool dates, 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
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.
Leavening agents
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 is, I’ve written all about it here.
This date and nut loaf will entice, slice after tender slice. And without further ado, the recipe. Let me know how you like it!
Date and Nut Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 300 g (1½ cup) dates, un-pitted, pitted is approx. 250 g
- 125 mL (½ cup) boiling water
- 60 mL (¼ cup) cup rum, (I say 50 mL in the recipe, but really 60mL is a quarter cup)*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 150 g (⅔ cup) sugar, I use Demerara, granulated is fine too!
- 1 egg
- 200 g (1⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 g 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 60 g (¼ cup) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F and grease a loaf tin with butter, or line it with a loaf liner.
- Begin by pitting the dates. I like to do this by splitting the date in half and removing the seed.
- Once all the dates are pitted, chop them up into bite-size pieces, think the size of miniature chocolate chips. Use a sharp knife, it will make a big difference!
- Tip the chopped dates into large bowl, and pour in the rum. The rum is optional (see notes), but it adds a subtle caramel undertone to the loaf that you won’t want to miss.
- Let the date soak up the rum for a few minutes, you can also do this overnight for a more pronounced flavour.
- Next, pour in the boiling hot water (if you're omit the rum, just use ¾ cup boiling water instead.)
- Also tip in a teaspoon of baking soda, and just stir everything till incorporated. The mixture will become thick will emulsify slightly. Let it cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside.
- Now return to the dates, and add the sugar and the egg, mixing till well combined.
- Next, add the vanilla extract, followed by the nuts.
- Once combined, add in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Finally, stir in the melted butter. The batter will be rather thick, incredibly flavourful and beautifully fragrant.
- Pour the bater into the prepared loaf tin, and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, maybe with a few damp crumbs. If you notice the top of the loaf beginning to brown too quickly (this might happen after around 30-40 min), slide a piece of aluminium foil over the loaf tin and continue baking.
- Let the loaf cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Although this tastes wonderful warm, it actually has a more pronounced flavour the next day. I like to enjoy it with a cup of coffee, perhaps some butter on top.
- The loaf lasts about a week if sealed properly. You can store it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you don't have rum, replace it with boiling water or coffee instead.
Very loosely adapted from Genius Recipes
And that’s all, folks! Enjoy this scrumptious date and nut loaf recipe.
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Hi Vedika, can you please add the weight measurement for pitted dates, i.e the final amount needed for the cake? it looks delicous. thanks!
Hi Shani! Sure, it is updated now — 250 g 🙂
It resembles a banana cake but seems more delicious than the former. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Looking forward to many more recipes.
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it.
Absolutely fantastic recipe. Tastes divine with a little butter spread on . Will be making this atleast once a week .
Ah so happy to hear, Michelle!! Thrilled you liked it.
Hi Vedika! I’ve been looking for a date and walnut cake recipe for long and was thrilled to find yours. The cake looks irresistible and I can’t wait to try baking it. I wanted to ask if the recipe is possible with curd instead of the egg; how much if so? Also, do I need to add baking soda to the curd like they do in other recipes that substitute curd for eggs? And how does this affect the baking soda and baking powder proportions that are already part of the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Nilanjana!! So happy to hear you liked the recipe! You could try using curd – you’d need probably around 1/3 cup. Of course I can’t guarantee the same results as with egg, but it doesn’t hurt to try! Keep the baking powder and soda as is- as there is quite a lot of both. You could maybe add 1/2 tsp baking soda extra but again I am not sure how that would work!
Can I use a round cake tin for the same measurements n if so which size
Hi Neeta, sure! I would use a 20 cm (8 inch) round pan, or a 23 cm (9 inch) round pan. Hope this helps!
Thanku so much for the quick response ❤️
Hi Vedika…just love ur recipes…Have one quick query about date nut loaf cake..I soaked dates overnight in rum… N all the rum has been absorbed by dates… N if v add the given measurement of boiling water is it enough for the batter…as i feel it is too thick n have cracks on top… Is it ok to hav cracked top or is the batter too dry… Should we add more water then??
Hi Sabrina!! I answered on Instagram I think- but soaking dates is fine, and cracks are normal!
I made this yesterday and it is amazing. We are trying to be healthy, so I replaced it with Oat flour and coconut sugar. It came out soft and moist… delicious.
Thank you for this great recipe.
Amazing!! So glad you liked.
How much vanilla extract?
I just popped this in the oven. I did not have walnuts on hand so I used pecans. My father loves date and nut cookies, he is 93 so I thought I would give this a whirl. Batter looks great and tastes good too. I did use the sugar you recommend, funny I had that on hand but no walnuts. Thank you recipe.
Followed the recipe exactly but I feel the rum flavour is overpowering. I would definitely make it again but next time I will use coffee instead of rum. The directions mention vanilla but it is not listed in the ingredients. My last comment is that I had to bake it for 75 minutes in order to reach a temp of 200f which is my go to for loaf bread.