An easy and moist date and walnut cake that isn't overly sweet. It can be served as-is or drizzled with a simple-to-prepare toffee sauce and toasted coconut. If you have any dates left, try my simple stuffed dates recipe too!
If you are looking for a good date cake recipe, you've found it! It's moist, not overly sweet, and has the right amount of spice. I decided to use a bundt cake pan but you can prepare it in a 9 x13 casserole dish or a few loaf pans.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This date and walnut cake recipe is easy to prepare but looks so impressive, no one will guess it takes less than an hour to make!
- The date cake is delicious as-is but even more so when drizzled with toffee sauce and toasted coconut.
- It freezes well so you can enjoy it for months to come!
- Be sure to check the pro tips below for more ways to tweak the recipe. For example, if you love coffee as much as I do, try replacing the boiling water with freshly brewed coffee.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dates: Any dates will do. I prefer Medjool Dates but I only had Deglet Noor dates and they worked just fine.
- Sugar: I added 1 cup of brown sugar. I think you can go up to 1 ½ cups if you like your cake on the sweeter side. Otherwise, stick with one cup. If you don't have brown sugar you can use granulated sugar.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter, but you can use coconut oil or vegetable oil if you'd like.
- Spices: This recipe calls for cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. If you'd like, you can also add ¼ teaspoon cloves and ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg.
- Toffee Sauce: The baked date cake can be drizzled with an easy-to-make toffee sauce and then sprinkled with toasted coconut.
🥮 How To Make A Date Walnut Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F
Step 1: Chop dates and add to a small bowl. Sprinkle with baking soda, then pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: If you prefer a smoother texture, the date mixture can be blended first before adding it to the batter.
Step 2: Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed until soft and fluffy. Add eggs, applesauce, and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly blended.
Step 3: Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Pulse at first, then mix on medium speed until the cake batter comes together. Mix in the date mixture and fold in the chopped chocolate bar and walnuts.
Step 4: Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a bundt pan, then sprinkle with flour. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Toffee Sauce & Toasted Coconut (optional)
Step 1: While the cake is baking, toast flaked coconut in a skillet over low to medium heat. Stir or agitate the pan constantly until golden and toasted. Set aside.
Pro Tip: Coconut can burn really quick, so you'll need to watch it constantly to make sure it doesn't burn.
Step 2: Add brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan. Whisk for 1 minute then add the half and half. Continue to whisk for 4 more minutes. Finally, add vanilla extract and sea salt and whisk for one more minute or until the sauce looks thicker.
Step 3: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Cover with a cooling rack and flip it over. Cool for 5 more minutes before flipping it onto a large plate or platter.
Step 4: Sprinkle with half of the toasted coconut then drizzle with toffee sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cool completely before slicing.
If you're looking for more cake recipe ideas, you'll want to check out this white forest cake recipe and this heavenly ube leche flan cake!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
It is a good idea to soak dates before using them in a baked recipe. Depending on the type of dates used, they can be dry and may need to be rehydrated before adding them to your recipe. Soaking time can be as little as 15 minutes, especially when you use boiling water.
Depending on the recipe, a date loaf can last 5 to 7 days.
Yes, date and walnut loaf can be frozen for up to 3 months when packaged correctly. Begin by slicing the cake into single serving-sized slices then wrap each slice in heavy-duty aluminum foil to protect from freezer burn. This will keep you from having to defrost the entire cake to have just one slice. Store the wrapped slices in a freezer bag.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- For an extra moist cake, up the amount of dates to 2 cups.
- If you are a coffee lover, try using hot coffee instead of boiling water.
- The toffee sauce can be served on the side instead of pouring it over the entire date cake.
- If you like your desserts extra sweet, increase the sugar to 1 ½ cups.
- This cake can also be prepared in a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- If you decide to bake it in a pan, you can poke holes into the top of the cake with a chopstick before drizzling the sauce over the cake to allow the sauce to penetrate into the date cake.
- This date cake recipe would also be great with cream cheese frosting!
🍮 More Date Recipes
📖 Recipe
Date And Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped dates (up to 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 4 oz applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 3½ oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar (chopped)
- ⅓ cup flaked coconut (toasted)
Toffee Sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
- Chop dates and add to a small bowl. Sprinkle with baking soda then pour 1 cup of boiling water over them. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
- Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed until soft and fluffy. Add eggs, applesauce, and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly blended.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Pulse at first, then mix on medium speed until the cake batter comes together. Mix in the date mixture and fold in the chopped chocolate bar and walnuts.
- Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a bundt pan then sprinkle with flour. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Toffee Sauce & Toasted Coconut (optional)
- While the cake is baking, toast flaked coconut in a skillet over low to medium heat. Stir or agitate the pan constantly, until golden and toasted. Set aside.
- Add brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan. Whisk for 1 minute then add the half and half. Continue to whisk for 4 more minutes. Finally, add vanilla extract and sea salt and whisk for one more minute or until the sauce looks thicker.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Cover with a cooling rack and flip it over. Cool for 5 more minutes before flipping it onto a large plate or platter.
- Sprinkle with half of the toasted coconut then drizzle with toffee sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Coconut can burn really quick so you'll need to watch it constantly to make sure it doesn't burn.
- For an extra moist cake, up the amount of dates to 2 cups.
- If you are a coffee lover, try using hot coffee instead of boiling water.
- The toffee sauce can be served on the side instead of pouring it over the entire date cake.
- If you like your desserts extra sweet, increase the sugar to 1 ½ cups.
- This cake can also be prepared in a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- If you decide to bake it in a pan, you can poke holes into the top of the cake with a chopstick before drizzling the sauce over the cake to allow the sauce to penetrate into the date cake.
- This date cake recipe would also be great with cream cheese frosting!
- If you prefer a smoother texture, the date mixture can be blended first before adding it to the batter.
Arundhati says
Hi. What can be the replacement of applesauce in this recipe? Thank you.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Arundhati,
I add the applesauce to use less oil, while retaining moisture. You can simply add more oil, or replace it with date paste or even a mashed banana, although that might affect the flavor, but I would guess is a good way!