Dates Walnut Cake

Back to the blog after a short break. Hope all of you guys are keeping good health and are in a happy frame of mind. Well, I have been thinking of baking a dates and walnut cake since ages 🙂 But honestly it could never happen till yesterday. As we were expecting some guests for Sunday evening tea, I was raking my brain to decide on the flavour of the cake to be baked. Suddenly we got the idea to make this dates and walnut cake which would be a perfect accompaniment with the evening tea along with other savouries and may be some cookies.

Well, this is a simple straight forward tea cake with very less ingredients, mildly sweet and perfect for all ages 🙂 I have used the soft variety of Kimia dates. You can very well use any dates of your choice. Remember to chop the walnuts into small pieces, so that you get neat slices. Adding a small amount of butter adds a nice flavour to such tea cakes and the oil in the cake keeps it moist and soft and the cake doesn’t harden on refrigerating. As always, I have used a 240 ml cup. Please go through the notes if you are new to cake baking. Do not forget to share your feedback and experiences if you happen to try this cake. I would love to hear from you all. Till then it’s me Pradeepa signing off till I come with a new recipe 🙂

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 200 gms
• Salt a pinch
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Baking soda 1/2 tsp
• Cane sugar 100 gm
• Melted butter 1 tbsp
• Oil 60 ml (1/4 cup)
• Walnuts 50 gm
• Dates 100 gm
• Milk 240 ml (1 cup)
• Curd 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract 3/4 tsp

Method:

• Line an 8 by 4 Inch loaf pan or an 8 inch square pan with butter and dust it with flour. Tap out the excess flour.
• Line the base with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven with both rods and fan mode on at 160-170 degree Celsius for around ten minutes.
• Sieve the flour with a pinch of salt and the leavening agents for two to three times.
• Chop the walnuts into small bite size pieces and dust it with some flour. (You may use a tablespoon of flour from the previous step)

• Further, chop the dates and mix it thoroughly with the milk. I have used soft kimia dates. If you are using a harder variety, you may blitz it with the milk.
• This this, now add curd, oil, sugar, butter and whisk till you get a homogeneous mixture.

• Add the vanilla extract and mix.
• Fold in the dry flour mixture and the walnuts. Do not mix vigorously.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smoothen the top.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes or till a screwer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

• Remove the cake from the oven and place the tin on a cooling rack. Cool for 8-10 minutes.

• Slowly un mould the cake and cool it completely.

• Slice and enjoy with a cup of hot ginger cardamom tea or a nice filter coffee 🙂

Notes:

• This cake it a mild sweet cake (yes like most of my bakes 🙂 ). You may increase the sugar by 2-3 tablespoons or add around 2 or 3 more dates.
• The sweetness develops after the cake is rested for few hours.
• You may skip the vanilla extract and add cinnamon and/or nutmeg powder.
• Butter can be melted before adding.
• Remember to use all ingredients at room temperature.
• Make sure that the leavening or rising agents are fresh and well before the expiry date. Replace them after 3-4 months.
• You may replace the cane sugar with normal granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
• Cool the cake completely before slicing.
• Such cakes when baked in a loaf pan tends to develop a crack, it’s quite normal. So please don’t be disheartened 🙂
• Each oven behaves differently. So please check the cake after 35 minutes or so.
• I use both the rods and the fan mode on for baking everything in my oven which is a Borosil Prima 60 litres. You may adjust the settings according to your oven manual.
• I prefer to bake my cakes at 160-170 degree Celsius. You may adjust it according to what works in your oven. After all you know your oven better than anyone else 🙂
• Furthermore, I prefer to keep my baking tin in the lowest rack while baking cakes.
• Also remember to cool the cake in the tin for 5-8 minutes atleast. Never try to un mould a hot cake, or else it will break.
• Do not mix too much once the dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients. Over mixing can result in dense cakes.
• Remember to coat the dry fruits n nuts with little dry flour so that they do not settle at the bottom of the tin and will be uniformly interspersed in the cake.
• Always remember to preheat the oven before you place the cake tin inside the oven.
• Place the tin inside the oven as soon as you mix the dry and wet ingredients.
• One more thing in the end, never attempt to open the oven door in the first 20-25 minutes of baking or else the cake will sink in the centre.