Coffee, Date And Walnut Cake

A sticky, moist, teatime treat with an optional extra of a coffee liqueur syrup drizzle...

Growing up in England, my mum used to make a mean date and walnut cake. It had quite a dense texture and we'd have it cold, spread with butter on a Saturday after a buffet tea. This version is more "cake like" with a softer texture and would also be perfect as a dinner party dessert served warm with whipped coconut cream or ice cream and a drizzle of the syrup. 

Ingredients

1 cup chopped medjool dates
1 1/2 cups warm coffee (medium strength)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature
1 cup golden caster sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
3 chia eggs (3 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 9 tbsp water)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 170C.
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​Place your chopped dates in a bowl along with the warm coffee and bicarbonate of soda, Leave to one side to soak while you carry on with the rest of the process.

Line an 8" cake tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl place your butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and chia mixture. Beat together until smooth. Add in the flour, baking powder, date mixture and walnuts and stir to combine. The batter should be quite loose. Pour into your prepared cake tin and place into the oven.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes, checking after 30. If you feel the top is browning too quickly, lay a sheet of foil over the cake tin. Remove when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out relatively clean. Set aside to cool.

If you wish to make the coffee liqueur syrup, place 1/2 cup of Kahlua and 1/2 cup of caster sugar into a small pan and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes until it reduces slightly and becomes syrupy. Leave to cool a little.

Pierce the cake all over with a skewer while it's still warm and in the tin. Pour over the syrup and leave again to cool. 

Once cool, cut into squares and serve.