I had the urge to bake yesterday, I’d been clearing out and tidying up all my cake supplies and saw that there was half a bag of dates that could do to be used up. As always my thoughts drifted towards the various blog challenges that I like to join. I flipped through an old Bero cookbook and saw a Date and Walnut Cake. But that wouldn’t do for any challenge but if I added cocoa powder and some coffee…it would fit with this month’s We Should Cocoa!
And so the Mocha Date and Walnut Loaf was born. ‘We should Cocoa’ is a challenge created by Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog and Chele at Chocolate Teapot, but this month is being guest hosted by Lucy at The Kitchenmaid.
– Mocha Date and Walnut
Heat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin
the dates ( I cut them with scissors as it’s easier)
the dates in a bowl, add the pinch of bicarbonate of soda.
the boiling water into a jug to 150ml and add the instant coffee
the coffee over the dates and bicarb.
the butter and sugar, then gradually beat in the egg.
in the flour, nuts, chocolate and lastly the dates
the mixture into the lined tin and
spread evenly.
for about 1 ¼ hours until firm.
Cool on a wire rack, serve sliced with or
without butter.
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A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate says
Not a lover of coffee but the cake looks lovely and moist too. x
Janice says
Thanks Sue. It doesn't really taste much of coffee, I think it just enhances the chocolate flavour.
Baking Addict says
I just posted my WSC entry too and am reading another one – must be the night for it 🙂 Love how you've added the chocolate and coffee to this date and walnut loaf – yum!
Homemade by Fleur says
That cake looks fab. I love it when you bake something according to what is in your cupboard. I should do this more often myself. Bonus that it fit with the WSC theme too.
The KitchenMaid says
I knew you'd come up with something good Janice and this looks fantastic. My mum used to make a date loaf that looked a bit like this one, but your chocolate and coffee additions are sheer genius!
Jacqueline says
Well I was going to say looks great, but don't like coffee, however if it is quite subtle…
Janice the font you use in your posts is hard to read on the iPad, because of course everything is smaller.
Janice says
Jac – I've changed the font and put it up to 14pt, hope that is better now.
Caroline says
That looks great – really moist with all those dates in there. I remember my mum making a date and walnut loaf from an old Good Housekeeping cookbook – nostalgia! Love the twist of adding both chocolate and coffee – very clever!
Phil in the Kitchen says
Lovely combination of flavours. I like the idea of the cheese with it too.
Karen S Booth says
That looks like a GREAT cake Janice and so moist too….LOVELY WSC entry, I am making mine this weekend! Karen
Choclette says
Not sure how I missed this one. Love this adaptation of a classic date and walnut loaf – well maybe without the coffee bit 😉 Thanks for entering it into WSC.