Okay, you’ve looked at the photos and thought to yourself, “That’s not a loaf!” You’d be right. Look again, see that cute cake plate? That’s why my date loaf cake is round. I wanted to use my new cake stand.
I got it at the op shop for a whopping $7. It’s so cute I couldn’t resist. I went in to find some placemats or napkins and came out with that cake stand. I refuse to pay full price for new things to use in food photos.
Do you like dates? If you said yes, me too. I like those soft, juicy medjool ones best and I’ve been known to stand at the refrigerator door stuffing dates with cream cheese. A bite for me and a bite for Charlie. He likes dates too. He likes cream cheese better but he mostly likes “last bite.” I think if I ate dirt, that dog would want last bite. It’s a wonder he’s not fat but he runs a lot more than I do.
Back to my cake.
Today is Father’s Day in Australia and I had to be away all day. Next weekend is the Real Food Festival and I’m giving a presentation on blogging on Sunday and on Saturday I’m volunteering. All volunteers had to attend an orientation session and mine was at 11am today.
We were told to be there at 11am sharp. It’s a 40 minute drive for me and I cut it close. At 41 minutes before 11 I ran out the door only to find the car’s gas tank on empty. Yes, you could have heard me grrr from where you are. When John and I go anywhere together he always drives and we’re together most of the time.
“Why is the tank empty???” I wanted to know.
“Calm down, the tank’s empty because we drove the car.”
“You drove, I just sat there,” I mumbled.
“Get some gas and you’ll be late. It’s not like they’re going to tell you they don’t want you as a volunteer. If they do, you’ve got a day to play.” Sometimes in situations like this, his practicality drives me nuts. No drama whatsoever.
Today was a gorgeous spring day, temps in the upper 20s (nearly 80F) and Maleny is in the mountains overlooking the ocean so it was a beautiful drive. I got there 4 minutes late. I might have gone over the speed limit.
When I got home, we did the Father’s Day thing and had a chat about what Rob wanted for dinner. He didn’t care what we had as long as there was homemade ice cream with dessert. He’s easy to please.
He likes mashed potatoes and gravy as they’re easier to eat and he likes chicken so it was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. For his Father’s Day dessert, I made this date loaf cake and he thought it was very good.
We both thought next time we’d either put chopped walnuts or a walnut streusel on top. (that’s the royal we meaning me.) Do you like cakes with nuts?
- 350g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 50g butter, cut into small pieces
- 100g brown sugar
- 100g dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 225ml milk
- Your oven goes to 350°F / 180°C
- Grease and line the bottom of a 9x5x3 inch loaf tin with baking paper
- Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Rub in the butter.
- Stir in the sugar and dates.
- In a separate bowl (the measuring jug for your milk?), gently whisk together the eggs, molasses and milk.
- Add the liquid to the flour mix and beat well with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter.
- Spoon the batter into your tin, and spread level.
- Bake for an hour in the center of your oven.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a cooling rack and leave till completely cool.
- Dust with icing (confectioners) sugar
Happy Father’s Day. Here in the U.S. we celebrate dads in June. You arr right. It is not a loaf, but that’s fine with me. It looks beautiful on the pretty cake stand and serves up very nicely when cut in a wedge.
I love dates. When ever I buy them for a recipe I always have to get extra because I can not resist eating them out of hand. This cake sound wonderful, and I bet the molasses lends it a lovely depth of flavor. It looks perfect with the ice cream!
Anything mashed potato can only be great, so I am with Rob. That day my bike was low on petrol and I luckily got stuck right in front of our house. =D
My husband loves dates, I am ok with them, so let’s see what he says when I make your loaf cake Maureen!
Streusel would be sensational with this, I think. And dates with cream cheese is a wonderful combo (goat cheese might be better, though). Great loaf (cake! whatever!). We always split the driving – Mrs K R drives there, I drive back. That way we can blame each other when we run out of gas. 😉
Happy Father’s day to all the dad’s out there. I think any dad would love roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and that date cake to celebrate this special day.
I’ve only cooked with dates once, the Irish Brick cake, but I bought extra so I could make a sticky toffee pudding which has been on my cooking bucket list for a long time now. This cake seems like a lot easier to manage if I chicken out on the pudding. First I have to go shopping for butter and molasses though since I used up the last of my butter in my nectarine crumble bars … I THOUGHT I had bought apricots until I looked at the label on the fruit basket. I’m getting forgetful in my old age. 🙂
I don’t care what shape it is…I know I would love it but yes, WITH nuts even more. And cream cheese. Now please?
lovely cake and how cool you were speaking wish I could have attended
I was waiting for this story to end with you running out of petrol on the side of the road.. 🙂 And I don’t mind nuts on top of my cakes, but I’m not too keen on them IN the actual cake – I know that’s weird.. 🙂
The dates, brown sugar and molasses must make this a wonderful caramel flavoured cake. I’m a sucker for any cake with walnuts, so I’d have to vote for the nuts. GG
OMG, I love op shopping! And what a bargain for $7. Beautiful! Love a good date loaf, have not made one in years… yours looks delicious and would be even better spread with Pepe Saya butter : )
Just got home from a 5 day vacation in Vegas and WOW!!!! I have missed 3 posts.
Glad I opened this one first. Fantastic sweets!
I wish I could be there to support you when you give your presentation. I know you’ll do an awesome job. My dogs also want the last bite of everything – and the first and the second! Your Father’s Day dinner sounds very homely. I really don’t think there’s much out there better than a roast chicken with gravy. Love the date loaf and yes, I like nuts! xx
Do I like cake with nuts (she writes while licking her fingers after devouring a slice of pumpkin cake with added walnuts)? That’s a yes. Definitely a yes.
Love the new cake plate!
Cracking up at your no drama man. 🙂 Mine is like that too. Mostly I love it but now and then? Gah! 🙂 Yes, I like nutty cakes very much indeed. 🙂
this cake sounds amazing, love how there is brown sugar and molasses in it!
We had some for afternoon tea and for dessert tonight. I think it’s nearly all gone!
I like cakes with nuts, I like cakes without nuts, I like cake!!!
Sounds like you had a great Father’s Day! 😀 And it’s nice when they’re easy to please!
Maureen, as long as it tasted like a date loaf, I don’t think “shape” matters. It looks lovely on your new cake plate! I happen to like walnuts in my date “cake” — my hubby doesn’t. Your streusel topping idea sounds like a good compromise.
Hi Maureen, This is my first visit to your lovely blog. I know it won’t be my last! This cake is gorgeous and sounds delectable…I just love dates!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Kathy, and now I’m off to visit Bake Away With Me !
I love dates, especially in baked goods!! This cake looks fabulous.
Easy and tasty – my mantra 🙂
That’s not a loaf! 😛 hahah i’ve turned loafs into circles for the sake of props too. Cute stand!
Thanks, and I can’t wait to go back to that op shop with another $7 🙂
I love date cakes…aww in fact I’m with Becca I love any cakes. I love them with nuts too. Charlie is such a rascal and I’m sure if you were eating dirt he would. Good luck at your talk.
Thanks, Tania. I like moist cakes. I can eat a dry cake if there’s a cup of cream with it. 🙂
Beautiful cake (and not too much butter either!) I love date loaf cake and I would definitely add nuts too.
Yeah, we’ll add nuts next time. 🙂
I do love cake with nuts AND a streusel topping! We’d get along just fine! I usually have dates in my pantry but I ran out a couple of months ago and haven’t replenished; this recipe might just be the impetus to do so. It’s nice that your FIL was at your place for Father’s Day; our Father’s Day is in June.
Dates work so well in cakes. And I love your new stand! 🙂
Thanks, Rachel. It was $7 well spent. 🙂
A Happy Father’s Day to your FIL! He’s a lucky man and from what you’ve posted about him, you are a lucky daughter-in-law. I love dates! Bobby not so much unless they are hidden in the cake. I think it’s a texture thing. We both would LOVE this cake
He’s a perfect gentleman and I’m really lucky to have known him. He’s incredibly lucky to have met me. 🙂 He reads all my posts so when you read this, Rob, remember who massages your itchy ankles. 🙂
What a deal on the cake stand! And I love the look of your date cake. I think adding nuts would be wonderful…I always make my desserts without nuts, so the hubby will eat them. Heaven forbid I have to eat all those sweets by myself!
yes, that would be tough for me too (not). Sometimes I make things knowing John won’t eat it so I can have it all to myself. 🙂
I may end up making the Irish brick cake and this date loaf cake in one week end. 🙂
woo… you amaze me 🙂
That “loaf” is lovely!!! and the cake stand is a perfectly good reason to make the loaf round. My husband is a huge date nut cake fan but believes only his sister can make the best one! I might finally be able to compete.
LOL I hope this beats his sister’s!
I can take or leave nuts but I definitely like cake with dates. And I love that this is a round cake and not a loaf – I think they look far fancier that way!
How can I ever miss so many of your posts…I apologize. Beautiful cake and love the dates and would love nuts too. There are so many things about the cake I love…just about everything.
Maybe I sneak the posts in when you’re not looking 🙂 I’m really happy when you come by.
How can I ever miss so many of your posts…I apologize..
There are so many things I love about the cake…actually everything and that it’s rounds. Love nuts too.
Dates ah luurve. Spring I luurve and this date cake loaf I especially luurve. This would’ve been the perfect Father’s Day dessert
Hi Adrian, he loved it! But then he loves most anything. Easiest person to feed ever!
Molasses in cakes is my new favourite thing – I bet it goes wonderfully with dates 😀 And although I despise being late, I’m with John – the real food guys are lucky to have you, they can deal with a 5 mi waiting time!
Love dates and yes I would want nuts in the cake or on top, doesn’t matter.
I too get uptight when the gas tank is low, glad you got to your destination on time and did not need to push the car.
Good luck with your presentation, I know you will be fantastic.
I’m bad about the gas. If it’s below 1/3 I start to get antsy. John could happily run on fumes I think. 🙂
Lovely cake…loved the dark and rich color from the molasses… Looks super soft and moist
Ah, the loaf is beckoning me to come eat it. If it wasn’t a day worth of flight away…..
I love Rob. And I love his taste in food even more….mashed potatoes and gravy…yummmmmm!!!
Yeah, I’d come to your house too if I didn’t have to pack for a month 🙂 Thanks so much for coming by, Minnie!
Hello Maureen! Cake with dates.. I never baked… it looks yammy, so I must try… and yes, I would add some nuts or almonds to it!
You made me hungry.. 🙂
Agnes, bake this cake or the brick cake. You will thank me. 🙂
I don’t have to share this, right? K, just checking.
Nup.. no sharing required. (as long as nobody else is looking – remember what the teacher said, “If you bring it out, you’d better have enough to share.” ) 🙂
No, not a loaf cake but a cake all the same! Hope you saved me a big slice ;).
This cake actually reminds me of my mom. She used to buy cans (yes it was sold in cans, remember that?) of date nut loaf and would eat it all herself. I was always intrigued by it but never tasted it! Yours is perfect, loaf or not. And love the pretty cake plate!
In New England we got brown bread in cans.. with or without raisins. I loved raisins but my father didn’t – so no raisins. 🙂
Maureen, I love thrift shopping for my blog. I am always amazed at some of the things us bloggers find. Your plate is beautiful! And so is that date loaf. Happy belated Father’s Day to the men in your life.
I always have dates with my oatmeal, I yet have to bake with it…your cake looks good Maureen.
Hope you are enjoying your week 😀
Cake or loaf, it won’t matter to me if its this delicious looking 🙂
This cake looks delicious and so moist!! I need to bake more with dates!
I say the same thing every time I cook with dates 🙂 Thanks so much for coming by, Jocelyn!
You are saying gorgeous spring day which means fall is coming soon here. Anyway, the cake stand looks pretty and what a great deal. Your date loaf cake is perfect first use of the beautiful stand. 😉 Looks delicious, Maureen!
Thanks, Nami. I do love Autumn but Spring is quite special. Asparagus, strawberries and it will soon be time for mangoes!
I dont know whats with dates but they are really good as a baking ingredient, I used them before so this I am sure would taste amazing
Raymund, this was a good cake. 🙂
What a steal to find that cake stand for $7.00, I just bought one myself for a little more and it will make it’s debut sometime soon, already made the cake 😀 Putting your loaf on the stand makes in a round makes it and look special and I’m betting it disappeared quite fast.
I LOVE medjool dates and this looks great – but I would add nuts too – walnuts.