This Date and Walnut Cake is naturally sweetened with soft Medjool dates and has no refined sugar. It’s tender, moist, and exactly the kind of healthy tea cake you’ll want to keep on the counter for everyday snacking.
If you are looking for more delicious date desserts, then try my sticky date pudding recipe next!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Date and Walnut Cake Recipe
🕒 Ready In: ~ 20 minutes plus baking and soaking time
👪 Serves: 12 servings
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Medjool dates, eggs, milk, flour, oil.
📖 Dietary Info: Refined sugar free, mostly healthy
📌 Difficulty:
Why you’ll love this date and walnut cake?
This is the kind of tea cake you’ll want to keep on your kitchen counter all week—perfect for slicing and enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee.
It’s naturally sweetened with dates, so there’s no need for refined sugar. Soft Medjool dates also bring a rich, caramel-like flavor that deepens as the date cake bakes, giving it that signature warm, toffee-like taste.
Blending the dates makes all the difference. Instead of having chunks throughout the cake, they turn into a smooth paste that blends seamlessly into the batter. This not only distributes the flavor evenly but also keeps the cake incredibly soft and moist, prevents it from drying out, and creates a dense yet tender crumb.
- maria doss
Jump to:
This date cake took a few rounds to get just right. In my first attempt, I used only one cup of dates, thinking it would provide enough sweetness—but the result was far from it. Batch after batch, I gradually increased the amount until I found the sweet spot: two cups of dates.
I also discovered that folding in some chopped dates at the end makes a big difference. They create little pockets of soft, caramel-like sweetness in every bite. It adds extra flavor and texture without making the cake overly sweet!
Use Medjool dates for cake
Medjool dates are often considered the gold standard for baking because of their high moisture content and naturally rich, caramel-like flavor. They almost melt into a smooth paste, making the cake soft, tender, and irresistibly sweet with deep toffee notes. They also soften beautifully in milk, which makes them perfect for blending into the batter.
In contrast, Deglet Noor dates are slightly drier and may require a longer soaking time. Using only drier dates can result in a firmer, less moist cake, so they’re best combined with softer dates or properly rehydrated before baking.
Tips for Success
- If you'd like a smaller cake, then simply halve the recipe and bake in a 6-inch pan.
- For the 2 cups of dates, go through your dates and pick softer ones. Softer dates yield a softer cake. You can use the drier dates for chopping and stirring into the batter.
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More Snacking Tea Cakes
Date and Walnut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped dates (remove pits and chop each date into 4 pieces)
- 1 cup milk hot
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts finely chopped plus more for topping
- ½ cup chopped dates (chopped into about ½-inch size chunks for mixing in the batter)
Instructions
- 👉 Go through your dates and pick softer ones, chop and measure 2 cups. Softer dates yield a softer cake. You can use the drier ones for chopping and stirring into the batter later. Soak dates. Add 2 cups of chopped dates to a bowl, pour 1 cup of hot milk, and mix, so that the dates are immersed in the milk. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. Uncover and let cool for 15 to 30 minutes. 👉 I like to use this time to finish the rest of the prep work.
- Combine dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup chopped dates. Gently mix, separating any dates that are sticking together so they’re evenly distributed and lightly coated with the flour.
- Prep pan and oven. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch baking pan with oil or butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°F).
- Blend dates. Add the soaked dates and the milk into a blender along with eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until very smooth.
- Finish batter. Pour the blended mixture into the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape every bit from the blender—this is essential for the cake’s moisture and sweetness. Gently mix just until the batter comes together, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle additional chopped walnuts on top. Bake for 40–48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Storage
This date cake with walnuts keeps beautifully in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week. Its flavor is reminiscent of Indian Christmas plum cake and actually improves with a little age. I also love slicing it and freezing the pieces—then you can quickly thaw a slice anytime for a healthy, sweet snack on the go.
👉 If you love dates as much as we do, you’ll enjoy our collection of Medjool date recipes. Some of our favorites include a walnut smoothie, chewy date and nut bars, and even chocolate hummus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dates are naturally sticky and high in sugar, which can easily make a cake dense if not handled carefully. Here are some tips to keep your cake light and tender:
Soak the dates – Soaking dates in milk or warm water softens them and prevents them from “sucking” moisture from the batter, which can weigh the cake down.
Blend, don’t just chop – Chopped dates can create uneven pockets and add heaviness to the batter. Blending them into a smooth paste ensures even distribution and helps the cake rise more evenly.
Watch the quantity – Using too many dates can overload the batter with sugar and moisture, resulting in a dense cake. Stick to the recommended amount for best results.
It depends on how you’re using the dates! There are two main ways to add dates to a cake:
Chopped dates – You can simply mix chopped dry dates into the batter and bake. There’s no need to soak them, and you’ll get little bursts of sweetness in every bite.
Blended dates – If you want a cake with that rich, toffee-like, naturally sweet flavor, blending the dates is the way to go. This method truly “screams” date cake, giving it caramel notes and sweetness without any refined sugar. This is the method I used for this recipe, and it’s my preferred approach for a cake full of authentic date flavor.
Even with soft Medjool dates, soaking them helps soften the skin and blend into a smooth, creamy paste, ensuring the cake has a tender, moist texture.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
