Preheat the oven to 175˚C. (325˚F) Brush a cake tin with a bit of oil and cover with baking paper.
Put the dates in a small bowl and sprinkle the baking powder on top. Heat the coffee until boiling and pour this over the dates and the baking soda. Leave to soak for a while so the dates soften.
In a medium bowl mix the butter, sugar and egg well until combined. Stir the vanilla through
In a separate bowl mix the flour types, spices and the salt. Add this to your butter mixture and stir it through. Add the nuts last and your date mixture. Stir it all together until combined and put in your cake tin.
Bake for an hour in the preheated oven or until the cake is done. Leave to stand for 5 mins before you take it out of the tin.
Remove the paper and leave to cool on a cake rack
Ofcourse delicious if enjoyed with a cup of coffee