Date and Walnut Cake

one brown date cake on a green cake stand.

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.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword date cake, date walnut cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Soaking time 45

Total Time 1 50

Servings Servings

Calories 225kcal

Author Maria Doss

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

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.

Nutrition