Pecan Date Cake

Sweet pecan date cake made with chopped pecans and sticky dates. 100% NO animal fats or eggs used in this delightful recipe.

8 slices

20 minutes

35-40 minutes

170ºC

Ingredients

100g stoned dates

- chopped
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ lemon zest

- finely grated
100ml hot tea
40g chilled coconut oil

- needs to be firm to measure weight
70g dark brown sugar
1 ripe banana

- mashed
125g self-raising flour
25g pecan nuts

- chopped
Decoration
Few dates

- stoned, halved
Few whole pecan nuts

Instructions

01 Preheat the oven to 170C
Prepare loaf shaped tin:
02 Line an oblong, non stick 500g baking tin with a paper.
Make cake:
03 Put the dates, bicarbonate of soda and lemon rind in a bowl. Add the hot tea. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, until soft. Put the firm coconut oil and sugar in a bowl. Beat well. Add the mashed bananas. Stir through. Add the soaked date mixture and mix. Add the flour and fold through. Gently fold in the chopped pecan nuts. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin, levelling off. Top with halved dates and a few whole pecan nuts.
Bake:
04 Place in a hot oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until risen, firm and golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, before turning out and finish cooling on a wire rack.
Serve:
05 Enjoy freshly baked with a cup of your favourite hot beverage.

Notes

This cake will improve in flavour if stored in an airtight tin and eaten the next day. Double up the ingredients for a substantial cake. Use chilled coconut oil. As this makes it much easier to weigh accurately.