Mary Berry Date Slices

Some bakes whisper at you when the rain taps on the windows. Mary Berry’s date slices practically lean in and knock. Rich, sticky dates; rough crumbles of walnut; a slap of lemon icing that wakes your tongue up like cold sea spray. They’re messy and good and exactly what you crave when everything else feels a bit… tired.

I made these for the first time on a Sunday when the house felt two sizes too big. Nothing profound. Just needed a smell, a sound—that quiet huff of baking cake, the wooden spoon hitting the side of the bowl.

Why These Date Slices Might Just Fix You

• The dates melt into something almost indecently soft.
• Walnuts punch through all that softness when you need them to.
• The lemon icing? A fast, bright jolt that cuts the sweetness down to size.
• No faffing about. One bowl. No scary techniques.
• Somehow they taste even better two days later, once they’ve slumped into themselves.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 250g stoned, chopped dates — they’re the heartbeat
• 40g butter, softened until it dreams of melting
• 350ml boiling water to wake up the dates
• 2 large eggs, slightly hopeful looking
• 200g dark muscovado sugar — rich as midnight
• 150g ground almonds, for that dense, clinging crumb
• 150g chopped walnuts, because you need the crunch
• 350g self-raising flour, nothing fancy
• 1 and a half teaspoons cinnamon, just enough to hum

For the icing:

• Handful of walnut pieces to throw on top
• 225g icing sugar, sifted if you’re feeling patient
• Zest and juice of one tired lemon

How To Actually Make Them Without Losing Your Mind

1. Oven on. 180C if it’s feeling generous; 160C with the fan howling.
2. Line a baking tray. Something roughly 30x23cm. Close enough.
3. Drown the dates and butter in the boiling water. Stir once, then walk away.
4. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until you’re bored. Then stir in the cooling dates.
5. Dump in the almonds, walnuts, flour, cinnamon. Fold until it’s just barely mixed. Lumpy is fine. Good, even.
6. Scrape it into the tray. Get it in the oven. 30 minutes… ish. Smells will tell you when it’s close.
7. Cool it. No, really. Wait. The icing hates warm cake.
8. Mix lemon juice and zest into the icing sugar until it’s gloopy but still bossy.
9. Slap that icing on. Throw the walnuts at it. Slice into 24—or fewer if you’re feeling reckless.

Common Mistakes to Dodge

• Leaving the dates cold. No one likes hard, mean dates.
• Baking too long. It’ll turn into date-flavoured plaster.
• Overmixing. It’s not bread. It wants tenderness.
• Getting stingy with the lemon. The whole point is the punch.

Storage and Leftovers

• Room temp: 3 days, easy. Maybe longer if you hide them.
• Fridge: Up to a week, but bring them back to room temp or they taste like regret.
• Freezer: Sure. Wrap tight. Forget for a month. Find and rejoice.

What to Serve It With

• A mug of milky tea
• Sharp Greek yogurt
• Clotted cream
• Black coffee
• Glass of sherrY

FAQs Because You’ll Probably Wonder

Q: Can I freeze these?
A: Yes. Thank God. Wrap them up like treasure.

Q: Why’s my cake dry?
A: You cooked it too long or messed with the water/dates situation.

Q: Other nuts?
A: Absolutely. Pecans. Almonds. Hazelnuts if you’re feeling fancy.

Q: No icing?
A: You’ll survive. But you’ll miss the whole point.

Nutrition Fact

• Calories: 250
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated fat: 4g
• Cholesterol: 30mg
• Sodium: 50mg
• Carbs: 30g
• Fibre: 2g
• Sugar: 15g
• Protein: 4g

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry’s Death By Chocolate Cake
• Mary Berry Chiffon Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Apple Strudel