More cake

Time to have another go at a date and walnut cake, following the reasonably successful effort recorded on 9th August.

This time selected something described by our trusty Whitworth's cookbook (vintage 1971) as an Alberta date cake. Same sort of thing as the M&S one, but with 4oz of walnuts rather than 2oz, 6oz of sugar rather than 4oz and two eggs rather than one.

Varied the ingredients by not soaking the dates in hot water and baking powder, just stirring them into the mix dry after the first half of the flour. Stirred about half a pint of water into the mix in dribs and drabs as I went along and ended up with what I think is called a firm dropping consistency; it came off the spoon if you jerked it.

Varied the cooking by using one of my 2lb loaf tins rather than the flat tin - the sort of thing you might use for flapjacks or brownies - specified. Greased with butter then floured before adding the cake mixture. Then just about an hour at 160fanC.

Rose OK and came out of the tin OK. Crumb yellow rather than brown which I preferred. Maybe just a touch less water next time.

The only odd thing is that for once, Google fails me, never seemingly having heard of the famous Alberta data cake. Tried one or two Albertan cake shops but they seem to be more into fancies than cakes; see for example http://www.crazycakes.ca/. Even odder when one thinks of the huge number of cake recipes floating around out here in the world of blog. Or is it that the Whitworth's people just made the name up?

PS: (20/8/2013) the cake people are very efficient at emails. So they are probably good at cakes too should you ever be in Lethbridge - where there is also a large river and some even larger bridges.