Date And Walnut Cake Food

DATE AND WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3inch loaf pan. Place dates in a large bowl, sprinkle soda over dates and pour boiling water over top. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes to cool. In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and walnuts. Beat the egg with the oil and add to the cooled date mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until bread begins to pull away from side of pan and center is done when tested. Set aside to cool and unmold.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend whipped cream cheese with sugar and lemon zest.
• To serve, slice the bread thin and top with a spoonful of cream cheese.

DATE AND WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Place the dates in a bowl with the butter and bicarbonate of soda. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the butter has melted. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4). Lightly grease an 18 cm (7 in) round deep cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
• Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat well to combine. Add the cooled date mixture, then sift in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt. Add the walnuts and stir together until thoroughly mixed.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 1-1 1/4 hours or until the cake is risen and nicely browned and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. The cake can be kept, wrapped in foil or stored in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

THE MOST AMAZING DATE AND WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/Gas 4/350ºF Line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.
• Roughly chop the dates then add them to a bowl along with the butter, instant coffee and boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Add the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to a bowl. Whisk it together with a fork.
• Add the milk and egg to a jug or bowl and beat together.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the flour mixture then pour in the milk mixture and beat together. Next, pour in the soaked date mixture (including all of the soaking liquid) and beat together very well until fully combined. You can do this with a handheld whisk or an electric whisk.
• Tip the chopped walnuts into the bowl and fold them in by hand.
• Transfer the cake mixture into the prepared 2lb loaf tin. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. (see notes) Once baked, leave to cool in the tin before adding the cream cheese icing.
• To make the cream cheese frosting: Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Don't worry if there are still some lumps of butter.
• Swap the paddle attachment for the balloon whisk. Add the salt, vanilla and ⅓ of the icing sugar. Whisk on a low speed until the icing sugar has been incorporated then add another ⅓ of icing sugar and repeat. When all the icing sugar has been added, turn the speed up to high and whisk for 2-3 minutes.
• When the date and walnut cake has completely cooled, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top of it and use an offset palette knife or similar to smooth it over the top. For decoration, add a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Grease an 8-inch/20-cm round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
• Grind the walnuts together with the breadcrumbs in a food processor. Put the egg whites in a large bowl for whisking. Whisk the yolks and granulated sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (without letting the bowl touch the water) until they have tripled in volume and become thick, pale and ribbony. Take the yolk mixture off the heat. Scatter the nut mixture over the yolk mixture, along with the chocolate, if using, then drizzle over the butter and espresso. Fold very gently to blend. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a spoonful of whites into the batter to loosen it, and then gently fold in the remainder.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before flipping the cake out onto a serving plate.
• Decorate with a sifting of confectioners' sugar and a few walnut halves. Some white blossoms look nice, too. Serve small portions of cake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or with coffee ice cream.

DATE AND WALNUT BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then both coat inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray & sprinkle with flour.
• FOR THE CAKE ~ Combine dates & water in medium bowl, then stir in baking soda.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & selt.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter & brown sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla & orange zest.
• At low speed, beat in flour mixture until just combined.
• Stir in walnuts & dates (with the liquid included).
• Spread into prepared Bundt pan & bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.
• FOR THE SAUCE ~ Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring cream & 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer 5 minutes.
• Set aside & reserve 1 cup of sauce to brush over cake, then continue simmering remaining sauce for 10 more minutes to thicken.
• Stir in orange zest.
• After cooling for 10 minutes, invert cake onto wire rack.
• Poke holes all over with either a toothpick or a larger pick (I use a meat themometer!).
• Brush reserved cup of sauce over top of cake, then cool at least 45 minutes. [NOTE: Cake can be made up to 3 days ahead ~ Just cover & store at room temperature, while refrigerating the sauce.].
• When ready to serve, warm the sauce & enjoy!

DATE & WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 2lb loaf tin (ours was 22 x 10cm and 6cm deep) and line with baking parchment. Put the butter, dates and bicarbonate of soda (which helps break down the dates) in a large bowl and add 150ml boiling water. Give it a stir so the butter melts, and leave to stand for around 20 mins until the dates have softened.
• Whisk in the sugar until smooth, then gradually whisk in the eggs until combined. Beat in the baking powder, flour and a pinch of sea salt until there are no lumps of flour left and it's smooth. Fold in three-quarters of the walnuts, then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top.
• Bake for 20 mins, then turn the oven down to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 45-50 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Lightly dust with the icing sugar and serve in slices. Freeze whole or cut into slices, then place in an airtight container or divide between reusable freezer bags. Can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly overnight.