I love this Date and Walnut Roll……….. I’ve been making it for years. I love it made in this old fashioned round tin but you can make it in a loaf tin if you like.
Cooking was not really one of the things that my Mother enjoyed. She felt it stole precious moments of her life.
As an apprentice chef, a lot of my time was spent inventing and cooking and she often said that she couldn’t understand why people would spend so much time making food look nice when someone was just going to chew it up!
We had a pressure cooker that she used a lot, many things hatched from this squealing aluminium vessel including beef or mince stews with peas and curried sausages. There was always mash and there was always peas. She made a great boiled fruit cake when absolutely necessary, and cheesecake with pineapple topping, a 70’s speciality from a packet if it became imperative to arrive somewhere with a “plate”. She was able to produce a Pavlova at new year or Christmas, but this required us all to be on our best behaviour, the house organised and quiet or she would be stressed beyond belief.
We ( my older sister and I) began taking turns cooking dinner on a Friday night. We liked to cook things like pizza . Doughy crusts and lashings of meat and cheese. Just the way Australians used to eat Pizza, before we knew any better. I am sure this was a relief for her, but for the cook a towering pile of dishes needed to be done and we had to coax the younger siblings to help. This sometimes caused faction fighting , requiring her to intervene.
Needless to say she never cooked a date and walnut loaf. This was the domain of my Aunt Pat, who baked all manner of goodies. She did do a version of this great date roll.
When I found these roll tins , I was instantly reminded of eating slices of this cake spread thickly with butter.
This recipe makes a great accompaniment to blue or washed rind cheeses . An idea for that can be found here from an earlier post.
Old Fashioned Date and Walnut Roll
A fantastic recipe that can also be made in a loaf tin if you cant get hold of these old fashioned roll tins. The recipe fills two date roll tins. They need to be well sprayed or greased and floured. alternatively use a loaf tin. The entire recipe may not fit into 1 tin unless it is large. The mixture rises so 3/4 fill the tin.
Ingredients
- 250 gm dates chopped | 8.8 oz
- 220 gm brown sugar 1 Aus cup tightly packed and 2 tablespoons| 7 oz
- 60 gm butter 1.8 oz
- 300 gm Self Raising Flour 2 Aus cups| 10.6 oz
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 100 gm walnuts 3.5 oz
- 1 whole Egg lightly beaten
- 250 ml water 1 cup | 8.8 fl oz
Caramel icing
- 180 gm brown sugar 6.4 oz
- 250 gm cream cheese 8.8 oz
- 12 dates fresh seeded, halved ( or more if you want)
- 140 gm walnuts 5 oz | whole look better to garnish
- 40 ml hot water 2 Tablepoons | 1.4 fl oz
- 1 tsp vanilla optional
Instructions
- Oven 180 C/ 350 F
- Grease and flour the tube tin or grease line a large loaf tin with parchment paper. The recipe fills two date roll tins. They need to be well sprayed or greased and floured. Alternatively use a loaf tin. The entire recipe may not fit into 1 tin unless it is large. The mixture rises so only 3/4 fill the tin.
The Roll
- Combine the dates, sugar, butter and 250 ml (1 cup ) of water in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat till melted, without boiling. Remove from the heat and cool. If the mixture is too hot it will cook the egg
- Add the beaten egg to the date mixture
- Sift the flour, baking powder and soda into a bowl and mix into the date and egg mixture till combined and add the walnuts
- Pour this mixture into a 2 x greased nut roll pans ( if using ) 1/2 full. Cover with lids
- Bake standing upright for 30-35 minutes. All ovens are very different.If not too tight take the lid off one tube and test with a skewer by pushing it down the middle into the cake quite deep. Make sure the skewer comes out clean. If the skewer doesn't come out clean bake the cake a further 10-15 minutes. Cool before removing.
- I run a long narrow bladed knife around the cake on both ends of the tube to loosen it before removing. Do not try to remove it when it is very hot.
- Cool the roll completely
Frosting
- Mix the hot water with the brown sugar, to melt a bit, making a bit of sludge. Set aside
- Put the cream cheese into a mixer and beat with a paddle attachment till soft and light
- Add the brown sugar and (vanilla) and beat till light and fluffy. As you beat the sugar will start to dissolve and the icing will become lighter in colour and texture.
- Split the icing between two loaves or spread over the 1.
- Stud with dates and toasted walnuts and it's done
Notes
When removing the rolls from the tin, first run a thin bladed knife around the two ends of the cake to loosen any cake that may be stuck. Don’t try to remove the cake when it is very hot as it will fall apart. Instead,wait till it is luke warm and easy enough to handle
All oven are different. Your cake may take a little longer to cook through. Test with a skewer through the centre of one cake. if the skewer doesn’t come out clean bake the cake a further 10-15 minutes
To decorate, you can also use dried dates for this recipe. Use around 18.Â
Whichever size loaf tin you use fill it to 3/4 full.
Date roll tins are hard to find and should only be filled to just over half full
Who likes date and walnut roll?
What kind of cake do you like…………… would you like to see a recipe for one of your favourites ?.
Write me a comment and let me know..
My husband loves nut loaf, I look forward to using your recipe to make him one ?
So happy I found this recipe. I just purchased 2 tins from Taren Point and can’t wait to make my cakes. I love your finishing touch on the top.
My sister has been making these cakes but lives too far away for me to have a cuppa and cake with her so I’m making my own to share with my fam.
Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Thank you for sharing
Soo excited hope it goes well
Hi. Just leaving a comment because I wanted to bump the stars rating up! For me this deserves much more than 1 Star 😉 I’ve made this at least half a dozen times in the last 3 months, it’s become my COVID / 2020 memento dish for myself and friends, it’s fab. The version with blue cheese and syrup is awesome. https://www.mykitchenstories.com.au/date-walnut-roll-blue-cheese-pedro-ximinez-syrup/
The only thing thing to mention maybe is the phantom egg! In the ingredients but not mentioned again in the instructions. Cheers and thanks.
Thank you for writing to me. Some of the recipes on my site are quite old now and I once didn’t double check them as I do now. Thank you for your comment and for letting me know there were some problems too. It makes me very happy that the ideas have found a the perfect cook to settle with.
Old fashioned Date and walnut roll.
Sorry for being exact. There are discrepancies in conversions
Is this recipe grams converted to US oz or English oz?
or is it a US oz or English oz converted to grams?
Regards Peter
Hi Peter. Sorry that this was confusing for you. The measurements are in US oz converted from Australian grams
The recipe is written predominantly for grams. I think that most people in the UK follow the modern world of measurements and use metric so the conversations are in US oz. The conversions are worked out to an approximate amount that I believe still works perfectly.
Oh please if there is anyone out there who can tell me how to get 2 walnut and date loaf round cylinder tins please let me know! My mum used to make these all the time and I miss her and her cooking!?
Hi Wendy. These roll tins can be hard to find. I did a little ringing around and found them at Chef and Cook in Mallet Street Camperdown, Sydney.
You know how to break down all my defensive system when it comes to the perfect cake- and lashings of butter…my accumulated fat around the hips and stomach have been the result of bloody good food though!!! well well worth it!
Dont be silly I dont ever try to hurt you
I also know some people who have no aptitude for cooking but love to direct people in the kitchen! Now I need to find a way to deal with these type of people, obviously they love to eat too!
I see, maybe you should get them busy making drinks instead!
forwarded from my gmail..
Hi Tans… I love all your cakes. Especially the ones you throw together with odd ingredients. They are special as they are unique. Never to be reproduced exactly the same. Tania’s bespoke cakes are my fave. Also loved the post on The Camelot of M’Ville.
Mon
Sent from my iPhone
On 27/08/2011, at 8:22 AM,
forwarded from gmail………………
Hello Tania
As one of your loyal readers, I could not but help note your comment asking readers to write for their favorite recipe.
My childhood memories are always revoked when I think of …ginger cake……I was wondering if by chance you had a recipe for such and if you would be kind enough to include this in your wonderful kitchen stories !
will be happy to make a ginger cake
I know some people like your mum who really dislike cooking-my MIL is one of them! :O I really like how you’ve presented the date roll-it looks gorgeous. And oddly enough my MIL would love this cake 😛
Your MIL must love having you around. Those with no aptitude for cooking love a person who can!!. Thanks for looking..
you mentioned lashings of butter….. you got me can I have gulten free one ???
xxx
Yes I will work on it……
I found date roll tins at a market not long ago! you have inspired me to drag them out and use them. Delish!
T x
go for it love to be helpful.