Katie Stewart Cup

Renowned cookery writer Katie Stewart

Katie Stewart, who died in 2013 and a Cuckfield resident for 44 years, was mentor to a generation who first learned their kitchen skills in the late 1960s and 70s.

A renowned cookery writer, her Times newspaper columns were the bedrock of many families' excursions into fancy cooking. Yet so reliable were her recipes, and so lacking pretension, they have continued to attract devotees to this day.

Each year at the Village Show we showcase one of her celebrated cake recipes. We’ve chosen her Date and Walnut Loaf Cake (pictured here) for this year’s offering and expect, as always, bumper entries all competing for the prestigious Katie Stewart Cup.

1. Grease and base-line a 22.5 x 12.5 x 7.5 ( 9 x 5 x3 inch) oblong tin. Roughly chop the dates and place a medium bowl. Finely grate the lemon and add to the dates. Squeeze the lemon juice into a measuring jug. Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the chopped dates. Make up the lemon juice to 225 ml (8 fluid oz) with boiling water and add to the bowl. Stir well and leave until cold.

2. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F or gas No3). Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Lightly mix the egg and stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the date mixture. Sift the flower into the mixture. Stir until well mixed. Reserve about 25g (1oz) of the broken walnuts and stir the remainder into the cake mixture. 

3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared in and spread level. Sprinkle with the reserved walnuts. Set into the pre-heated oven and bake for 1-1¼ hours. Cool in the baking tin for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Slice to serve.

Moist and easy to slice with discernible chunks of dates and walnuts - keep for 24 hours before serving.

Recipe by kind permission of Andrew Leask.