Very nutty nut and date cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2024)

Very nutty nut and date cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (1)

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Very nutty nut and date cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2)

By

Nadia Lim

Food writer and author

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This cake is chock-full of nuts (three quarters of the cake is nuts), it’s also gluten-free and versatile — serve warm or cold, with tea or coffee, or turn into a dessert with custard drizzled on top. Since the silly season is upon us, I’ve added in glace cherries which speak of Christmas. They are optional though.

Ingredients

2 cupsDates, chopped (Main)
½ cupWater
1 ½ cupsWalnut halves, approx 140g
1 cupAlmonds, whole, approx 140g
2 packetsGlace cherries, red and green, 150g each
1 cupBrazil nuts, whole, approx 140g
50 gButter, softened
½ cupBrown sugar, packed
2Eggs
1 cupAlmond flour, or ground almonds
1 tspBaking powder
1Orange, finely grated zest and juice
1 tspVanilla essence/extract
½ tspNutmeg, freshly grated
½ tspGround cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 150C. Grease and line a medium square cake tin (I used a 20cm square tin).
  2. Place dates and water in a pot and boil dates for a few minutes, stirring to break them up, until they become a paste. Stir in nuts and glace cherries.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
  4. Add almond meal, baking powder, orange zest and juice, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon, and whisk batter together until well combined.
  5. Add nut and date mixture to batter (there will be about equal quantities of each) and stir together until well combined.
  6. Spoon into prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Allow to cool before tipping out.
  7. Cut into chunks and serve with tea or coffee (and topped with a slice of cheese for a British twist), or with custard drizzled on top.

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Very nutty nut and date cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of ground almonds in a cake? ›

If you want to be a little more experimental when substituting a nut-free alternative to ground almonds, try using something a little different. Crushed Cornflakes, Weetabix or Rice Crispies, oatmeal that has been ground to a finer consistency or even crushed biscuits.

How long have cakes been around? ›

According to the food historians, the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the English word cake back to the 13th century. It is a derivation of 'kaka', an Old Norse word. Medieval European bakers often made fruitcakes and gingerbread.

Why pound cakes get their name from the fact that they are always baked in 1 pound size loaf pans? ›

The name (Pound Cake) comes from the fact that the original pound cakes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. No leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. In the days when many people could not read, this simple convention made it simple to remember recipes.

How did cake become a thing? ›

The Greeks and Romans made sweet baked goods, and the Egyptians baked sweetened breads. However, it wasn't until the Middle Ages that cakes as we know them today began to emerge. During this time, sweetened breads were transformed into a more cake-like dessert, often made with honey, fruit, and spices.

What is a good substitute for nuts in a cake? ›

Substitutes for nuts include dried fruit, chocolate and seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower. Of the nine major food allergens, two are nuts — specifically peanuts (technically a legume), and tree nuts, including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.

Is almond flour just ground up almonds? ›

Almond flour isn't a type of milled flour, rather it is simply finely ground almonds. It's typically made with blanched almonds and lacks the dark flecks of skin, though this isn't always the case. It's the main ingredient in French macarons, and commonly used for airy cakes, as well as cookies and quick breads.

What is the best cake in the world? ›

Recipes. Sponge cake baked with meringue and almonds becomes the centerpiece of this delightful layer cake filled with custard and whipped cream. Kvæfjordkake began its inception in the north of Norway and has earned it's nickname as verdens beste, “the world's best”.

What is the oldest cake in the world? ›

The world's oldest known cake, baked during the reign of Pepi II in Egypt between BCE 2251 and 2157. Alimentarium, Vevey, Switzerland. The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens.

What is the oldest form of cake? ›

Yeast cakes are the oldest and are very similar to yeast bread. Such cakes are often very traditional in form and include such pastries as babka and stollen.

How many eggs equal a pound? ›

How many eggs are in a pound? Eggs vary in weight since not all eggs are the same. Large eggs tend to weigh just short of 2 ounces each. It takes between 8 and 9 large eggs to equal one pound.

What does the UK call pound cake? ›

It is also worth noting that the “Pound Cake” is now known by many names; “Madeira Cake” or “Yellow Cake” even simply “Loaf Cake”. No matter what it's called, one thing is for sure! The simple sponge cake recipe has stood the test of time and remained a staple for home baking!

What did the original pound cake not contain? ›

It's believed that pound cake originated from Northern Europe in the early 1700s and consisted of a pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. There was no leaving, liquid, or extract in the original pound cake recipe.

What is a cake slang for a girl? ›

Referring to a beautifully shaped booty: In slang, "cake" can be used to describe a very nicely shaped buttocks. It is often used as a compliment [1].

What is the baby in the cake? ›

Traditionally, a small porcelain baby, symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of Louisiana to celebrate their Christian faith. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it.

Why is the cake a lie? ›

It is in reference to the fact that an AI entity that guides Chell through the chambers, GLaDOS, promises cake as a reward if she accomplishes all of the test chambers. However, GLaDOS turns out to be duplicitous, and Rattman left the message as a warning.

Can you substitute flour for ground almonds in a cake? ›

You can substitute 125g plain flour for the 150g ground almonds. The recipe, and the alternative, are available on the BBC website with other recipe featured in NIgellissima.

What is a substitute for ground nuts in baking? ›

Granola: Swap in a bit of granola for the nuts that are called for in your recipe. A one-for-one replacement should work fine. Crisp Rice Cereal: This will give you all of the texture and crunch that you'd get from nuts. Start with half as much as the recipe calls for.

What does ground almonds do in baking? ›

Ground almonds are flavoured and lubricated by nut oils, have coarser particles and do not contain gluten. This means that you cannot simply replace 225 of flour with 225g of ground almonds in a recipe and achieve comparable results. Bakes made with ground almonds will be denser, moister, crumblier and browner.

What is a substitute for finely ground almonds? ›

If you do, then other ground nuts work almost the same. The best nuts as an alternative would be blanched (skinless) hazelnuts as they also have a mild flavour, like almonds, and so the flavour of the finished dish wouldn't be adversely affected. Cashews, macadamias and blanched peanuts are also quite mild.

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