Hamdi Saidani This Mary Berry Date Slices recipe is a moist and sticky treat, which uses sweet chopped dates and crunchy walnuts. It’s the perfect teatime traybake, ready in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Jump to RecipeMary Berry Date Slices Ingredients
For the Cake
- 175g (6oz) dried dates, stoned and chopped
- 150ml (5fl oz) boiling water
- 100g (4oz) butter (or margarine), softened
- 175g (6oz) light muscovado sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1 large egg
- 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 50g (2oz) walnuts, chopped
For the Topping
- 25g (1oz) walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar
How To Make Mary Berry Date Slices
- Soak the dates: Put the chopped dates into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave them to stand and soak for about 20 minutes until cool and most of the liquid has been absorbed. This step ensures the dates are soft and the cake remains moist.
- Prep the tin: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas 4). Grease a 28x18cm (11x7in) traybake tin (approx. 4cm deep) and line the base with baking parchment.
- Mix the batter: Place the softened butter, light muscovado sugar, egg, self-raising flour, and baking powder into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat everything together for about 1–2 minutes until smooth and well combined. (The mixture will be quite stiff at this stage).
- Add texture: Fold in the cooled date mixture (including any remaining liquid in the bowl) and the 50g of chopped walnuts. Stir gently until evenly distributed.
- Fill the tin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon or a palette knife.
- Top and bake: Sprinkle the remaining 25g of chopped walnuts and the demerara sugar evenly over the wet sponge. This creates the signature crunchy crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes.
- Check for doneness: The cake is ready when it is golden brown, well-risen, and springs back when lightly pressed in the center. A skewer inserted should come out clean.
- Cool and slice: Allow the traybake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment and cut into 12–16 slices.
Recipe Tips
- Soaking is secret: Do not skip soaking the dates. The boiling water breaks down the tough skins of the dried fruit and creates a “date syrup” that flavors the entire sponge, rather than just having dry fruit chunks in a plain cake.
- Muscovado matters: Mary specifically uses light muscovado sugar because its high molasses content enhances the toffee flavor of the dates. Standard caster sugar won’t give the same depth of flavor.
- Handling the batter: The batter before adding the dates is very thick. Don’t worry; the water from the soaked dates loosens it perfectly. Ensure you scrape the bowl well to incorporate the thick batter with the liquid.
- Topping crunch: The demerara sugar on top is essential. It doesn’t melt completely, leaving a crystalline crunch that contrasts with the soft, sticky sponge underneath.
What To Serve With Mary Berry Date Slices
These slices are substantial enough to be served as cake or pudding.
- Afternoon Tea: Serve alongside Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea.
- Custard: Serve warm slices with hot vanilla custard for a sticky toffee pudding vibe.
- Coffee: The walnut flavor pairs excellently with a latte.
- Clotted Cream: A dollop on the side adds luxury.
How To Store Mary Berry Date Slices
- Store: Store the slices in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep very well and stay moist for up to 4–5 days.
- Freeze: Wrap the whole traybake or individual slices in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Mary Berry Date Slices Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 245kcal
- Protein: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fat: 10g
- Saturates: 4g
- Sugar: 26g
- Salt: 0.3g
Nutrition information is estimated per slice (based on 12 slices).
FAQs
Can I use plain flour?
If you don’t have self-raising flour, use 225g of plain flour and add an extra 3 teaspoons of baking powder (totaling about 4 tsp including the recipe’s original 1 tsp) to ensure it rises nicely.
Can I use pecans instead of walnuts?
Yes, pecans are a delicious substitute and pair just as well with the maple-like flavor of the dates and brown sugar.
My dates are hard, what should I do?
If your dates are very dry and hard, you may need to soak them for a little longer (30 minutes) or microwave the bowl of dates and water for 1 minute to speed up the softening process.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Marmalade Loaf Cake Recipe
- Mary Berry Lemon And Coconut Cake Recipe
- Mary Berry Lime And Coconut Cake Recipe
Mary Berry Date Slices Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: EasyServings
12
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
45
minutesCalories
245
kcalA classic Mary Berry traybake featuring a moist sponge infused with soaked dates and walnuts, finished with a crunchy demerara nut topping.
Ingredients
175g dried dates, chopped
150ml boiling water
100g butter, softened
175g light muscovado sugar
1 large egg
225g self-raising flour
75g chopped walnuts (divided)
2 tbsp demerara sugar
Directions
- Soak chopped dates in boiling water for 20 minutes until cool.
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line a traybake tin.
- Beat butter, sugar, egg, flour, and baking powder until smooth.
- Fold in the soaked dates (with liquid) and 50g of walnuts.
- Pour mixture into the tin and level the top.
- Sprinkle with remaining 25g walnuts and demerara sugar.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and springy.
- Cool in tin for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Adding the soaking liquid from the dates into the batter is the critical step that transforms the texture from a dry fruit cake into a sticky, moist traybake.
- The combination of self-raising flour and baking powder gives this cake a good rise, making it lighter than traditional dense date bars.
- Be sure to chop the dates relatively small so they distribute evenly throughout every bite rather than sinking to the bottom.