300g pitted dates

200ml orange juice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 eggs

150ml walnut or olive oil

180g brown sugar

230 plain flour*

1 tsp cinnamon

150g walnuts chopped

400g full fat cream cheese

200g icing sugar

100g butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Extra walnut halves for decoration

Packed with jucy dates and roasted walnuts.

Icing

For the icing mix the cream cheese with the butter by using an electric mixer. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Keep in fridge until required.

Chop the dates (pit beforehand) and then place them in a pan with the orange juice. Bring to the boil while stirring and mashing them up. Add the bicarbonate of soda, stir and leave to cool down.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, oil and brown sugar together. Add the date mixture and mix together. Now add the flour, cinnamon and chopped walnuts and mix together.

Pour the mixture into a cake pan and bake in the preheated oven at 180’C for 65min.

Check with skewer if loaf has cooked. Stick it into the loaf and leave for a few seconds. If it comes out clear the loaf is cooked, if not it will need a few more minutes.

Once cooked take it out of the oven and leave to cool.

Once cooled down cut the cake horizontally to create 2 layers.  

Assemble the cake with the icing and decorate with walnut halves. 

*Gluten free option

Use a blend of ½ gluten free plain flour, ¼ buckwheat and ¼ almond flour (110g + 60g + 60g)