English date loaf?

molly37, Feb 4, 4:38pm
My 20 yr old recently returned from overseas. When in the UK he said he had a delicious date cake. or loaf. He said it was sticky. Date loaf can sort of be sticky. any English people able to enlighten me? I'd like to make it for him. He's not tired our typical date loaf, so possibly its this?

melford, Feb 4, 5:32pm
Was it the Yorkshire Parkin loaf? Its spicy and sticky but no dates

molly37, Feb 4, 6:23pm
He said he didnt know what it was called. I might ask his English GF. she might know.

nauru, Feb 5, 12:11am
This is an old English recipe that I use, it's a sticky loaf too. It has walnuts in it but you can leave them out as I have done in the past when I haven't had any. Sorry it's in imperial measurements too.

Date and Walnut Loaf
4 oz chopped dates
2 oz margarine
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
8 oz self raising flour
2 oz chopped walnuts
6 oz brown sugar
1 egg, beaten

Place dates and margarine is a basin with boiling water and bicarbonate of soda. Gently mix with wooden spoon to ensure all margarine has melted and dates plump up. Allow to cool. In mixing bowl, combine self raising flour, walnuts and sugar, then add to cooled basin of dates, margarine, water and bicarb. Mix well with wooden spoon and add beaten egg. Spoon mixture into a lined 2 lb loaf tin.
Bake for 1 -1½ hours depending on oven at 350F (I bake it @ 180C for just over an hour).
Leave to cool on a wire rack. Can be sliced and buttered if liked.

sarahb5, Feb 5, 9:41pm
Malt loaf? I think that's raisins though rather than datesbut it's very sticky - delicious sliced with butter

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1411653/sticky-malt-loaves Or McVities Jamaica Ginger Cake? That may have dates, very sticky on top and not over poweringly ginger.
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254946839

nauru, Feb 6, 12:49am
No dates in it, I used to buy them when we lived in the UK. I have a recipe from my AWW cakes book which I make and it's very like the bought one.

sarahb5, Feb 6, 1:18am
I know there are no dates in it - I was offering suggestions. McVities used to make a range of similarly textured cakes with the sticky top - just can't remember what the other flavours were now - one may well have been date

molly37, Feb 7, 12:56am
Thanks, might give this a go on the weekend for him.

sarahb5, Feb 7, 3:28am
It might also depend which bit of the UK he was in as the same cake can be called different things in different areas .

lindylambchops1, Feb 14, 4:36pm

sarahb5, Oct 22, 6:09am
I think McVities also used to make a date and walnut loaf which had a similarly sticky top as their Jamaican ginger cake and now they do a black treacle cake too