I’ve used Nanna’s Date Loaf for everything from a camping trips, to lunchboxes, to a makeshift dessert! It stays moist for days, and, warmed, accompanied by ice-cream or custard, is very pudding-y.
This is hands-down one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever encountered, so thank you Joan! None of that elbow-grease butter-and-sugar stuff, it takes little time to prep, and ingredients you can swap out for whatever’s in the cupboard. The traditional recipe, I believe from Scotland, uses dates and walnuts. It was a favourite of Joan’s to take to morning and afternoon teas.
I’ve experimented with lots of different fruit and nuts (pictured above dried apricots and cashews, and fresh berries and pecans) and they all work. The only thing you can get wrong (and I have done, in which case the only remedy is THE TRASH) is the amount if bicarb soda. One TEAspoon is all that’s required.
“S mairg a ni tarcuis air biadh.” (A person who has contempt for food is a fool.)
Old scottish saying
Nanna’s Date Loaf – a Moist Cake & an Easy Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped dates or any chopped dried fruit to your taste. I used dried apricots and citrus above. I've also used frozen and fresh berries.
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1/2 cup caster sugar or if you prefer brown, make it tightly packed.
- 1/2 cup walnuts or any nuts you like, pecans or cashews work well. You could also leave out the nuts.
- 40 grams butter
- 1½ cups self-raising flour
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉.
- Grease standard (23cm / 9") loaf tin and line with baking paper.
- Soak fruit, bicarbonate soda, sugar and butter in boiling water for a couple of minutes or until slightly softened.
- Toss in flour and nuts and mix. You don't even need to sift the flour. The mixture will be moderately runny.
- Bake in a moderate oven approximately 30 minutes or until browned and a skewer comes out clean.
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