Date and walnut cake
A moist and flavorful loaf cake infused with coffee, sweet dates, and crunchy walnuts. Perfect for an afternoon treat or a cozy dessert, this bake delivers deep, rich, comforting aroma.
Updated : 17 October, 2025
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
100 grams
Butter
250 grams
Dates
150 milliliters
Water
1 teaspoon
Instant coffee
75 grams
Sugar
55 grams
Brown sugar
2
Eggs
225 grams
Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon
Baking powder
pinch
Salt
100 grams
Walnuts
1 tablespoon
Brown sugar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line the base and ends with a strip of buttered baking paper.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, dates, boiling water, and instant coffee granules. Stir to mix, then set aside for 30 minutes to allow the butter to melt and the dates to soften.
Step 3
Add both the caster and brown sugars to the softened date mixture, stirring well to dissolve any lumps. Mix in the beaten eggs until fully combined.
Step 4
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, then stir until the batter is smooth. Fold in all but 1 tablespoon of the chopped walnuts, reserving the rest for the topping. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly, and sprinkle the remaining walnuts and demerara sugar on top.
Step 5
Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 170C and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil or baking paper.
Step 6
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it sit in the tin for 3-4 minutes before lifting it out to cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve once cooled.