Mixed nuts and Date tea bread baked in a Nut Loaf Tin ~ 坚果干枣蛋糕

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I was really glad to receive this Nut Loaf Tin from my daughter and was very anxious to bake something in it.  I googled to see how to bake a cake using this loaf tin and for a split second I was afraid that it may not be able to fit into my oven, standing upright.  But just to satisfy my intense eagerness, I removed all the racks and luckily it could fit in on the lowest shelf with a bit of air space at the top. 

I googled for a recipe and with some plus and minus modifications, managed to bake a nutty date tea bread. 

I was greeted by a ‘smiling Huat Kuih’ when I removed the lid of the tin.  I had expected a round or slightly cracked dome shaped top and certainly not a ‘forked’ one.  But after slicing off the top, it looked pretty decent for the pictures.  So that was a consolation and moreover the taste was good, moist and not too sweet.  Texture was somewhat like a steamed cake.   I could serve it with a light spread of butter as well.  I should have levelled the surface before I closed the lid but well, need to remember not to miss this step in my next attempt,

Mixed nuts and Date tea bread baked in a Nut Loaf Tin ~ 坚果干枣蛋糕 

Ingredients

• 150 ml water
• 60 gm chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 60 gm brown sugar
• 160 gm self-raising flour
• 1 egg
• 100 gm mixed nuts ( I used walnuts, pistachio, almonds & cashews)
• 50 gm butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Boil water, brown sugar, butter till sugar is dissolved.
2. Add in dates and boil for another 5 mins. till syrupy.
3. Remove from heat.  Let it cool.
4. Grease a Nut Loaf tin well and set aside.
5. Add bicarbonate of soda to date mixture, flour, egg, cinnamon and nuts.  Mix well (batter is thick) and scoop the batter into the greased tin.  Level the surface.
6. Close the lid.
7. Bake in a preheated oven @ 170 deg.C, upright and bake for about 50 to 55 mins.
8. Let cool for  a while and then gently remove the lid and check with a skewer till it comes out clean.
9. Once cooled, open the bottom lid and slowly slide the cake out.