It’s been a little while since I made an afternoon loaf cake – and this date, walnut and coffee loaf with espresso buttercream has been a welcome return.
The recipe starts similarly to sticky toffee pudding; soaking the chopped dates in hot liquid with a spoonful of bicarb. In this case, strong black coffee rather than water.
After this initial stage, the recipe reverts to the familiar cake-making method. You cream the butter with sugars, sift together the dry ingredients and finally fold in the fruit and nuts.
The original recipe that I borrowed said that it would make one loaf – the quantity of mixture produced actually allowed me to make one large (using a 1kg/2lb loaf tin) and one smaller loaf. I’ll be giving the little one to Granny Glittens.
Usually, my loaf cakes go well with a cup of tea. However this one, obviously, suits a mug of coffee better!
Super-moist and sweet – a delicious mid-afternon treat!
Save this date, walnut and coffee loaf with espresso buttercream recipe to Pinterest
- 300g/10½oz chopped dates
- 360ml/12½ fl oz hot, strong, black coffee or espresso
- 1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 210g/7½oz plain flour
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼tsp fine salt
- 60g/2oz butter
- 150g/5¼oz soft brown sugar
- 100g/3½oz granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2tsp vanilla paste
- 100g/3½oz walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1tsp very fine ground or ½tsp instant espresso powder
- 225g/8oz icing sugar
- 45g/1½oz melted butter
- 1tsp vanilla paste
- 50g/1¾oz walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- Preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
- In a large bowl, combine the dates, hot coffee or espresso, and bicarbonate of soda. Set aside
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
- Using a mixer cream the butter and sugars
- Beat in the egg and vanilla
- Strain the date mixture and set the dates aside
- Add the date-soaking liquid, alternating with the flour mixture (about 3 rounds) to the ingredients in the bowl; ending with the liquid
- Fold in the dates and toasted walnuts
- Grease loaf tin(s) with a little butter or baking spray. Insert a tin liner or cut parchment paper to fit the bottom and sides
- Pour the batter into the greased and lined loaf tin(s)
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes away clean
- Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin; remove the parchment and put on a wire rack to cool completely
- Combine the hot water with the espresso powder and stir until blended
- In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, melted butter, vanilla and espresso
- Spoon & spread the buttercream evenly over the top and scatter the chopped walnuts
- Slice & serve
Cakes & Bakes: Date and walnut loaf
This date and walnut loaf is outstanding as an afternoon tea cake. It’s like a cross between malt loaf, a Yorkshire tea loaf and sticky toffee pudding.
Justin can never get enough of teatime loaf cakes, so this was made with him in mind.
So, if you’ve got a packet of dates lurking at the back of your food cupboard (perhaps from Christmas) this is the perfect way to use them all up.
Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest for later!
- 450g/1lb stoned dates
- 1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 280ml/½pt boiling water or black tea
- 60g/2oz butter, softened
- 300g/12oz demerara sugar
- 2tbsp black treacle
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 450g/1lb plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 60g/2oz chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
- Line two loaf tins with parchment paper
- Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the boiling water/black tea and pour over the dates making sure they're all covered. Leave until it goes cold
- Beat together the butter and sugar
- Add the beaten eggs
- Gradually add the flour, salt and chopped nuts
- Add the dates and the liquid they were soaking in. Combine thoroughly
- Divide the mixture between the two lined loaf tins
- Bake in the middle of the oven for an hour. Check on them after 45 minutes to make sure that their tops aren't cooking too quickly. If they start appearing too brown, cover the tops over with tin foil for the final 15 minutes cooking time
- Allow to cool on a wire rack
- To eat, slice and spread with butter
Cakes & Bakes: Sticky toffee pudding
I’m not usually one to blow my own trumpet, but my first attempt at sticky toffee pudding produced a masterpiece! It was full of flavour, had the perfect texture and was hearty without being heavy.
My tried & tested measure of a restaurant is by the quality of their sticky toffee pudding. So far, the one from The Inn at Whitewell tops the league table. Highly commended are the offerings from The Shepherd’s Rest in Lumbutts and The Old Bridge Inn in Ripponden.
I reckon my effort could hold its own with any of them! Here’s the recipe…
Click here for some of my other pudding recipes!
Sticky toffee pudding
Ingredients
- 300 g/10½oz dried dates seeds removed (about 35 dates)
- 300 ml/10½fl oz water
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 60 g/2oz butter cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g/7oz self-raising flour
- 100 g/3½oz Demerara sugar
- 50 g/1¾oz Muscovado sugar
- butterscotch sauce
- 200 g/7oz soft brown sugar
- 300 ml/10½fl oz double cream
- 1 tbs + 1 tsp golden syrup
- 25 g/¾oz butter
Instructions
- Put the dates and water into a medium saucepan over high heat
- When the mixture starts to boil, add the bicarbonate of soda and the 60g butter ( be careful, the mix will fizz quite a bit!)
- Remove from the heat, stir and set aside for half an hour
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
- Line the circumference & base of a 20cm diameter round spring-form cake tin with baking parchment/ greaseproof paper
- Put the cooled date mixture into a food processor and pulse a few times to make a chunky paste
- In a small measuring jug, lightly beat the eggs before adding the vanilla extract
- Pour into the date mixture and pulse a few more times until just combined
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift in the flour
- Add 100g Demerara sugar and 50g Muscovado sugar and combine with the flour
- Pour the date & egg mixture into the flour & sugar mixture, gently folding the ingredients together until just combined
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the pudding comes away clean
- Remove from the oven and leave the pudding in the tin on a wire rack and allow it to cool for 10 minutes
- With a wooden or metal skewer, make several deep holes in the pudding
- Set aside while you make the butterscotch sauce
- Put all the butterscotch sauce ingredients into a small saucepan
- Stir over a medium heat using a wooden spoon until the mixture is well combined and begins to bubble
- Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Carefully pour 125ml of the hot butterscotch sauce evenly over the top of the pudding
- Allow the pudding to stand for at least 5 minutes before removing from the cake tin
Cakes & Bakes: Persimmon & date upside-down cake
My friend Duncan came over to visit for my birthday last week and, along with birthday presents, he came bearing a gift of persimmons. I’m ashamed to say that in my nearly half a century on this earth, I’ve never tasted persimmon!
I scoured all my recipe books but couldn’t find a single recipe – I didn’t know what other kind of food they go with or anything. I hit t’internet and found a few recipes and decided I liked the sound of persimmon & date upside-down cake. Here’s my take…
Cakes & Bakes: Persimmon & date upside-down cake
Ingredients
- 25 g/1oz butter
- 25 g/1oz granulated sugar or brown soft sugar
- 220 g/8oz brown soft sugar
- 55 g/2oz butter softened
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 120 ml/¼pt milk preferably whole milk
- 155 g/5½oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground all spice
- 3 persimmons (2 sliced into ½cm/¼'' slices and one chopped into cubes
- 12 dried dates dates pitted & chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 (slightly lower if your oven is fan assisted)
- In a cast-iron frying pan, heat the 25g/1oz butter until melted & bubbling
- Add the 25g/1oz granulated sugar/brown soft sugar and caramelize (my caramel split TWICE - here are some good tips to to bring it back from the brink if it happens to you!)
- Pour the caramelized mixture into a 20cm/8'' round spring form cake tin and spread it evenly across its base
- Lay the persimmon slices flat on top
- Beat the 220g/8oz brown soft sugar into the softened butter using an electric mixer or by hand until fluffy
- In a small measuring jug, whisk together the egg and vanilla essence before slowly adding it to the sugar & butter mixture until fully incorporated
- Add the milk, mixing well
- In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice
- Bit by bit, carefully fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture
- Fold in the chopped dates and cubed persimmons until just combined
- Pour the mixture onto the persimmon slices in the cake tin, taking care not to disturb the pattern
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes away clean
- Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake tin before releasing the clasp
- Lay a large, flat plate on top of the tin and, using oven gloves or a tea towel, flip the cake over onto the plate
- Carefully run the sharp knife around the cake tin base easing it away and off of the cake
- Ta da! ?
