Prep Time : 15 Minutes | Cook Time : 60 Minutes | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy
Hello my lovelies! I am clearly in holiday mode posting on a Tuesday! I’m in Melbourne this week on a family holiday, showing my folks some of the awesomeness that Melbourne has to offer. Today is a shopping day wooooo!
If gingerbread and date loaf had a baby it would be this moreish lightly spiced loaf studded with sweet gooey dates and bright ginger. In addition to being delicious and easy to make, this loaf is also dairy free aaand because the dates have so much sweetness of their own, it doesn’t have a lot of sugar. What a saintly loaf!
Put the chopped dates and ginger into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Add the vinegar and mix gently. Make sure all the pieces of date are under water. Leave to cool until lukewarm.
Heat the oven to 180C (350F). Line a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with baking paper. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar until thick and pale.
Mix the oil into the date mixture and add to the eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in a separate bowl before adding to the eggs as well. Fold everything together until evenly mixed.
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until dark golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy slices plain or toasted for a treat that’s delicious and practically guilt-free. Who can argue with that?
Date + Ginger Loaf
Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 60 mins | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy | Makes : 1 x 9 by 5 inch loaf
A lightly spiced dairy free loaf studded with gooey dates and bright ginger pieces.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (165 grams) dried pitted dates, chopped
- 1/4 cup (45 grams) chopped crystallised ginger
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 2 teaspoons white or cider vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (160 grams) soft brown sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Standing or hand-held electric mixer
- 9 by 5 inch loaf pan lined with baking paper
Directions:
Put the chopped dates and ginger into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Add the vinegar and mix gently. Make sure all the pieces of date are under water. Leave to cool until lukewarm.
Heat the oven to 180C (350F). Line a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with baking paper. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar until thick and pale.
Mix the oil into the date mixture and add to the eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in a separate bowl before adding to the eggs as well.
Fold everything together until evenly mixed.
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until dark golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cook’s Notes:
- If you don’t like ginger, leave it out or experiment with other dried fruits like figs
- This loaf is great toasted, and toasting can give it extra life once a few days have passed.
- you can reduce the sugar in this loaf further, but you will need at least 1/2 a cup to get the eggs to whip properly
– This loaf keeps well at room temperature for 4-5 days, and also freezes well. Slice the loaf before freezing and separate slices with a square of baking paper –
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