Date, Banana & Walnut Skillet Cake
Coming to you with my Lockdown Love Cake. Also known as my Date, Banana & Walnut Cake. I am really proud to be sharing this recipe with you as I have been working on it for a little while now. I've been tweaking the ingredients, adding spices and nuts, reducing the sugar quantity, and testing different baking times and temperatures. A lot of love has gone into this cake and I hope this brings a bit of sunshine and contentment to my buddies who are also in lockdown.
What I love most about this cake is that you don't have to be a cake master, phew! I know baking and icing a cake can often seem time consuming and intimidating, but let me assure you, this is one of the most easy and simple cakes you'll ever make. My best tip for making this cake (and all the other cakes you'll make in your lifetime) is to get your ingredients measured out before you start. It seems simple but having your ingredients measured out before you start will take aways some of the confusion people often experience when they bake and make their way own the recipe. Read on to find out how you can make this Date, Banana & Walnut Skillet Cake. And remember, you can also download and print my Recipe Card down below for free. Enjoy!
Why you are going to love this cake
It's so mellow yet sweet, addictive yet (kinda) healthy. It's easy to make, simple to bake and fun to ice. Begin this recipe by preheating your oven to 180C. The next step is to soak the pitted dates (that have been roughly chopped) in a bowl of boiled water. Next you'll beat softened butter and caster sugar together in a mixer (you can also use an electric beater) until it's fluffy and light. Then you'll add 3 eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg is thoroughly combined in the mixture before adding the next egg. The mixture may look a little separated when you initially add the egg, but keep mixing on medium to fast speed and it'll gradually come together. Once the eggs are fully combined into the mixture, add baking powder and combine again.
This next step is fun! Strain the boiled water from the now soaked pitted dates, and reserve one cup of date water - this is a must! You can discard any leftover date water. Add the date water, soaked dates and flour to the butter and sugar mixture, and gently stir or mix to combine. Add cinnamon, turmeric and nutmeg , and gently stir or mix to combine. Add roughly chopped walnuts, and gently stir or mix to combine. Now your batter is ready to bake! Pour half of the batter into a greased tin or skillet (like I used) using a silicone spatula. Slice two bananas in half lengthways and place them in a row on top of the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top of the bananas and place the baking tin or skillet into the oven for 40 to 50mins. When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and start working on your zesty cream cheese icing - which is as simply as beating butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a mixer until thoroughly combined. When the cake has completely cooled, ice the cake using a spoon and serve immediately. Hi, hello - YUM!
What if I don't like bananas?
That's totally ok, just leave them out of this recipe.
Will the cook time be the same if I use a baking tin as opposed to a skillet?
It may need slightly longer in the oven as a skillet retains more heat. Test the cake after 40 minutes in the oven with a skewer. If it's wet, place the cake back in the oven and check the cake in 5 minute intervals. It really shouldn't need more than 50 minutes but not all ovens are created equal.
Can I freeze this Date, Banana & Walnut Skillet Cake?
Yes, absolutely. You can totally store and freeze this cake in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Where should I store this cake - on my kitchen bench or in the pantry?
I am such a huge fan of keeping cake in an airtight container in the fridge. There is just something about a cold cake that I love, like a lot. Because the icing is made with butter and cream cheese, I wouldn't keep it out and open on your kitchen bench for more than half a day. Storing this one in the fridge is best.
Where did you get your table linen from?
The linen table cloth (the Beiege Gingham Table Cloth featured in my photos will be available soon!) and linen napkins are available from I Love Linen.
A little note from me
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this project. I hope you enjoyed it and feel inspired! If you wish to show your appreciation for this tutorial and support the future of my website, any donation is humbly welcomed by clicking the donate link below.
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You can also stay in touch with me by following along on Instagram and Pinterest, or sending me an email at jaharn@smorkitchen.com. Happy cooking, happy making!
Date, Banana & Walnut Skillet Cake
Servings
8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Coming to you with my Lockdown Love Cake. Also known as my Date, Banana & Walnut Cake. I am really proud to be sharing this recipe with you as I have been working on it for a little while now. I've been tweaking the ingredients, adding spices and nuts, reducing the sugar quantity, and testing different baking times and temperatures. A lot of love has gone into this cake and I hope this brings a bit of sunshine and contentment to my buddies who are also in lockdown. Read on to find out how you can make this Date, Banana & Walnut Skillet Cake. And remember, you can also download and print my Recipe Card down below for free. Enjoy!
Ingredients
The Cake
Extra virgin olive oil spray
350g pitted dates, roughly chopped
160g salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
2 bananas
The Icing
250ml cream cheese
1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease your baking tin or skillet with olive oil spray.
To make the cake, soak dates in a large bowl of boiled water.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time to the mixture. Make sure each egg is thoroughly combined before adding the next egg.
Add baking powder and gently mix to combine.
Reserve 1 cup of water from the soaked dates (date water) and strain the remaining water from dates. Add date water, soaked dates and flour to the mixture. Gently mix to combine together.
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric to the mixture. Gently combine together. Add walnuts and gently fold together. The mixture will be light and fluffy.
Pour half the mixture into your baking tin or skillet and spread it around with a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to get an even layer. Slice the bananas in half lengthways and place them on top of the mixture and gently press them down. Pour the rest of the batter on top and spread it across the bananas evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven when it's cooked through and set aside to cool.
To make the cream cheese icing, beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add icing sugar, vanilla extract and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Beat until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
When the cake has cooled, ice the top of the cake with the zingy cream cheese icing and enjoy!
