Date Cake | Date And Walnut Cake

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This Date Cake is a moist, soft, delightful cake featuring sweet dates, crunchy walnuts, fragrant coffee, healthy almond milk and raw sugar. It also has whole wheat flour that makes it wholesome and a bit healthier. Even a beginner in baking can make this eggless, vegan Date and Walnut Cake easily.

three date cake slices on white plate with dessert brass spoon.

About Date Cake

Date cake is a favorite with us. No wonder, I make this on days when we crave for sweets or desserts that are healthy.

This Date and Walnut Cake recipe is almost a decade old that I had posted many years back. I have been making this Date Cake for many years now.

It simply never fails and you get the perfect date loaf every time. My recipe always impresses my family and friends. When I serve this delish cake to them, they keep on asking for more.

The earlier recipe was made with a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Later I switched to making the cake entirely with whole wheat flour changing some of the other ingredients proportions.

And oh boy! I was so surprised to see the cake having a soft and moist crumb in spite of the whole wheat flour. So I have updated the recipe post to the date cake made entirely with whole wheat flour.

This date and walnut cake is healthy as together with dates and walnuts it is made with whole wheat flour and almond milk.

The cake recipe is apt to make for special days or festivals like Christmas or Easter, especially when you want to enjoy eating desserts that are not heavy on butter or cream frostings, refined flour and too much of fats like butter or oil.

Even a novice in baking can make this cake and get full marks. Try this cake and you will be simply bowled over by its texture, flavor and taste.

date walnut cake on white plate with cream colored doily on top.

Ingredients You Need

  • Flour: The entire recipe is made with whole wheat flour and works well with both the Indian wheat flour (atta) used for making roti and the milled whole wheat flour available outside India. You could easily swap the whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour, pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
  • Dates: Well of course since the cake has dates in it, it is loaded with the flavor and aroma of dates. Dates also makes the cake soft.
  • Coffee: I also add instant coffee that pairs beautifully with the dates and add its own charm and flavor to the cake. Though you can chose to opt out of coffee.
  • Walnuts: I love to add some walnuts in this recipe. But if you are out of walnuts, skip them. But they do add a lovely crunch to the soft cake.
  • Chocolate Chips: You could also choose to add some chocolate chips or cacao nibs. Sometimes I do add these and I have mentioned the proportions in the recipe card below.
  • Leavening Ingredients: Both baking powder and baking soda are required and cannot be substituted for each other. Since this is an eggless cake, I would suggest that you use both baking powder and baking soda that are fresh and in their shelf-life.
  • Liquids: I make this cake with almond milk, but feel free to use your preferred milk to make the recipe. Earlier I have also made this recipe with homemade soy milk.

If you love baking with nuts and dry fruits, do check my Fruit Cake Recipe and Wine Cake.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Date Cake

Prep and Make Date Walnut Mixture

1. Rinse and finely chop 100 grams or about 5 large or 8 to 9 medium-sized or 12 small dates and 4 to 5 walnuts (25 grams).

Measure and you will need ½ cup finely chopped dates (tightly packed) and ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts.

Grease a 7.5 to 8 inches round pan with oil (neutral flavored) or line it with a parchment paper. You can also use a loaf pan to make date loaf.

chopped dates and walnuts in a measuring bowl.

2. Heat 1 cup almond milk (or choice of milk) in a pan or steel bowl. Do not boil. The milk should only be hot.

almond milk in a bowl on a lit stovetop.

3. Switch off heat and place the pan or bowl on the kitchen countertop. Add instant coffee.

instant coffee sprinkled on almond milk in bowl.

4. Add the finely chopped dates and walnuts.

chopped dates and walnuts on top milk in bowl.

5. Mix very well to make an even mixture.

evenly mixed wet dates, walnuts with milk in bowl.

6. Add ½ cup raw sugar. You can also add ½ cup white sugar or add it according to the sweetness you prefer in the cake.

mound of sugar over wet ingredients in bowl.

7. Mix thoroughly until the sugar granules dissolves. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

wet mixture in bowl with a spoon inside.

Make Cake Batter

8. Place a wired mesh sieve over the bowl and ddd the following dry ingredients to it.

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour – 180 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt

Sift the dry ingredients directly over the bowl ensuring the sifted ingredients fall into the bowl.

date cake dry ingredients over a fine mesh sieve.

9. Pour all of the the cooled dates and milk mixture to the sifted dry ingredients in the bowl.

wet ingredients added over sifted dry ingredients.

10. Add ¼ cup of sunflower oil (or any neutral tasting oil), ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence. 

water, oil, vanilla extract in bowl over wet ingredients.

11. Mix with a wired whisk or you can also choose to fold the batter. 

Mix to an even batter but take care not to overdo the mixing or folding. Over-mixing can cause gluten strands to develop in the batter and will result in a doughy dense texture.

date walnut cake batter being made with a wired whisk.

12. Pour in the greased or parchment lined pan. Tap the pan with the batter in it on the countertop a few times so that the batter spreads on its own. 

cake batter in a baking pan.

Bake Date Cake

13. Bake at 190 degrees C/392 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Preheat oven at 190 degrees C/392 degrees F for 15 minutes. It took me 40 minutes to bake in my oven.

Note that temperatures vary from oven to oven. It can take less or more time for the cake to bake in your oven. 

pan with date cake batter in oven.

14. Check the baked date cake with bamboo skewer. The skewer should come out clean with no sticky batter on it.

date and walnut cake being checked with a bamboo skewer.

15. Cool cake pan on wired rack.

baked date cake inside pan on a wired tray.

16. Slice and serve when cooled. You can also refrigerate the date cake for about a week. Store the cake in an air-tight container in the fridge.

three date cake slices on white plate with golden fork by the side.

More Egg-free Cakes To Try!

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

three date cake slices on white plate with golden fork by the side.

Date Cake | Date and Walnut Cake

This Date Cake is a moist, light, soft, delightful cake made with dates, walnuts, coffee, almond milk, sugar and whole wheat flour. A slightly healthier Date and Walnut cake that can be served as dessert or a sweet snack.
4.87 from 91 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Cuisine World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 1 Date Cake
Units

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup finely chopped dates (tightly-packed) – 100 grams or 5 arwa dates (or 5 large dates) or 12 small or 8 to 9 medium-sized dates.
  • ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts – 25 grams
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 1 cup almond milk or choice of milk
  • ½ cup raw sugar – 110 grams, can use ½ cup of regular sugar instead
  • 1 tablespoon cacao nibs or small chocolate chips, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil
  • ¼ cup water

Dry Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour – 180 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions
 

Making cake batter

  • Finely chop the dates and walnuts and set aside. If you prefer, you can rinse dates, walnuts before chopping them.
  • Line a 7.5 to 8 inches cake pan with parchment or grease it with a neutral flavored oil like sunflower oil.
  • Take almond milk in a small pan and heat it gently on low. Do not boil the milk but only heat it.
  • When the milk gets hot, place the pan on the kitchen countertop.
  • Add the instant coffee, finely chopped dates and walnuts, sugar. Stir to get an even mixture and ensure that the coffee granules and sugar have mixed evenly.
  • Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
  • Now you can preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/392 F for 15 minutes.
  • Sift whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Add dates and milk mixture to the sifted dry ingredients.
  • If using cacao nibs or chocolate chips add them now.
  • Next add sunflower oil, water and vanilla extract. 
  • Mix with a wired whisk or you can also choose to fold the batter. Mix or fold to an even batter. Remember not to overdo the mixing or folding.
  • Pour batter in the greased or parchment lined cake pan.
  • With the help of a rubber spatula remove the batter from the sides of the bowl and add it to the cake pan.
  • Tap the pan on the countertop a few times so that the batter spreads on its own. 

Baking date cake

  • Place cake pan in the preheated oven and bake at 190 degrees C/392 F for 35 to 40 minutes.
    Keep in mind that each oven has a different baking temperature. So to bake the cake in your oven, it can take less or more time. It took me 40 minutes to bake this cake in my oven.
  • Check cake with a bamboo skewer by inserting it in the center of the cake as well as around the edges. The bamboo skewer should come out clean.
  • Place the cake pan on a wired rack or tray to cool.
  • When cooled, slice and the Date and Walnut cake. Serve as a evening snack or as a dessert.
  • The remaining cake can be kept in an air-tight box and refrigerated. Keeps well for about a week.

Notes

  • You can make this date cake easily with all-purpose flour, pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour. You can also use an equal mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
  • Addition of coffee and cacao nibs are optional.
  • For a more earthy flavor in the cake, choose to add coconut sugar, palm sugar or jaggery.
  • Use neutral flavored oil – one that is odorless and flavorless. Please do not use any oil which has an aroma or a particular flavor. 
  • Instead of oil, you can use softened unsalted butter. If using salted butter omit adding salt. 
  • Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the entire cake made from this recipe.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Date Cake | Date and Walnut Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1949 Calories from Fat 729
% Daily Value*
Fat 81g125%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 19g
Monounsaturated Fat 50g
Sodium 927mg40%
Potassium 1774mg51%
Carbohydrates 293g98%
Fiber 28g117%
Sugar 148g164%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 29IU1%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.4mg24%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 11mg55%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin E 24mg160%
Vitamin K 9µg9%
Calcium 609mg61%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 122µg31%
Iron 9mg50%
Magnesium 335mg84%
Phosphorus 1071mg107%
Zinc 6mg40%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Date Cake recipe post from the blog archives first published in March 2013 has been republished and updated on Jun 2022.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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