Date Walnut Loaf Delia Smith Food

BANANA AND WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• First sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down, then add the butter, lard, egg and caster sugar. Now, using an electric hand whisk, mix to combine all the ingredients for about one minute until you have a sandy texture. Then in a separate bowl mash the bananas to a pulp with a large fork and briefly whisk them into the cake mixture. Now fold in the chopped walnuts and orange and lemon zests. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin, level it off on top with the back of the spoon and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake on a lower shelf so the top of the tin is aligned with the centre of the oven for approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight tin in its liner.

BRITISH DATE AND WALNUT LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Place dates and margarine in a bowl with boiling water and baking soda. Gently mix with a wooden spoon until margarine has melted and dates are plumped up. Let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 2-pound loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, and walnuts in a separate bowl. Add to bowl with the date mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add egg and mix in. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

STICKY DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/340F/gas 3. Grease and line 20cm/8inch cake tin
• Place the raisins, dates, sultanas,and currents into a pan together with the butter, water and condensed milk. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from burning. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes
• Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool
• Mix together the wholemeal flour, plain flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a separate bowl
• When the fruit mixture has cooled, fold it into the flour along with the marmalade until smooth and well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin
• Cover the tin with a double layer of baking parchmonet, then bake the cake in the oven for 13/4 hour, or until the cake is springy to touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean
• To serve, allow the cake to coll for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack