Date Nut Bread with Orange Cream Cheese Spread
This quick bread features bites of sweet dates and walnuts scattered throughout. Top with the orange cream cheese spread for a delicious treat!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the date nut bread
- 1 1/2 cup dates pitted and chopped
- 2 ounces Cointreau or other orange flavored liqueur (optional)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used dark cane sugar)
- 1 tablespoon butter, coconut oil or vegan spread
- 1 egg
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- zest of one orange about a tablespoon
For the Orange Cream Cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 - 2 tablespoons sugar as desired
- zest from half an orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and prepare a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray
- Soak the dates in a medium sized bowl along with the orange liqueur and boiling water. Allow to cool. Don't drain. (If not using the liqueur, add a little more water)
- Cream the sugar together with the butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the dates along with the cardamom, cinnamon and orange zest.
- Measure in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. It should look like a wet batter. Add a little bit of water if necessary.
- Transfer to the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. It should be nearly finished. Cover the top with foil if necessary to prevent over browning. Bake for another 10 - 20 minutes until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- To make the Cream Cheese Spread, mix the cream cheese with the sugar, orange zest and optional vanilla. Spread on plain or toasted slices of the date nut bread.
Notes
To make a vegan date nut bread, make the appropriate substitutions for the eggs and cream cheese.