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.
Table of Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
3. Switch off heat and place the pan or bowl on the kitchen countertop. Add instant coffee.
4. Add the finely chopped dates and walnuts.
5. Mix very well to make an even mixture.
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.
7. Mix thoroughly until the sugar granules dissolves. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
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.
9. Pour all of the the cooled dates and milk mixture to the sifted dry ingredients in the bowl.
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.
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.
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.
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.
14. Check the baked date cake with bamboo skewer. The skewer should come out clean with no sticky batter on it.
15. Cool cake pan on wired rack.
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.
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.
Date Cake | Date and Walnut Cake
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)
This Date Cake recipe post from the blog archives first published in March 2013 has been republished and updated on Jun 2022.
Many thanks for sharing this super receipe.. I had a query.. Will this receipe work with 100% whole wheat ?
should work. you can give a try. just add more liquids to the batter as whole wheat flour absorbs more water.
Hi. This cake turned out light and flavourful. Have received many compliments.
pleased to know this geethanjalu 🙂 glad you liked the cake.
Thanks for wonderful recipe.can I add flax seed to this cake recipe and at what step it should be done.
priya, you can add flaxseed paste to this recipe. add after the 10th step, when soaked dates along with the milk, 1 cup water, walnuts and oil are being added.
Hi ,
I have baking powder only . Does it work?? Or I need bakind soda too??
Or do u hv any substitute??
baking soda is required. baking powder cannot be substituted for baking soda. there are no substitutes for baking soda.
I have tried the apple cake and orange muffins recipe both were superb. Could you pls share a recepie for a pure strong flavoured coffee cake and a recepie for banoffe pie.
have taken your request for coffee cake in our file. just wanted to know what is banoffe pie is it banana + coffee??
Hi Dassana can I skip the baking powderand instead add lime or vinegar. Also please suggest a good aluminium free baking powder available in India. Can you also please suggest if 8.5″ Roy d pan will work for these proportions. Thank you in advance. Waiting g to bakev th is inevitable 🙂
skip the baking powder, but add 1 tsp baking soda instead. some leavening agent is required. do add lime juice or vinegar. you can add 1/2 to 1 tbsp of either in this recipe. you will find aluminum free baking powder on http://www.gourmetco.in/ and they have bob’s red mill brand which is good. you can check the reviews here on amazon.com – https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Baking-16-Ounce/dp/B005P0I7T6
Thanks Dassana, can I skip the milk and add the coffee to warm water, sorry don’t mean to change the recipe, just wanted to know if it can be made vegan. Love your recipes and your work. Thank you so much in advance.
i think you can do it aparna. you can also use almond or cashew milk instead of dairy milk. thank you aparna.
Hello,
Love your passion for food!
Love all ur recipes.
Well can we sibstitute dry coconut for fresh one.
Thanks Bhumi
thanks bhumi. regaring your query, there is no coconut added in this eggless cake recipe. did you refer to some other recipe.
Hi Dassana,
As usual a great recipe from you. This recipe made me an 8 inch cake plus 6 cupcakes. This would be a tasty, filling and healthy snack for my kids. Thank you !
welcome trupti. thanks for sharing your positive feedback. glad to know this. i will also make the cupcakes.
Even my husband who isn’t much of a sweet/ cake person devoured 2 cupcakes in one go. He likes the nuttiness of the whole wheat flour.
thanks trupti for sharing positive feedback and for your concern. glad to read your motivating feedback.
Done baking eggless dates walnut coffee cake. Soo yummy and healthy! Thank you for the recipe.
thanks jocelin for the positive review.
Im baking this recipe right now. Thanks
welcome jocelin
Hi Amit,
Can i use the same recipe to make chocolate coffee walnut cupcakes ?
supriya, you can try. i think it should work.
Today I made this cake in my electric tandoor. Result was brilliant. Cake was so yummy and healthy as it has 3/4 atta. Thank you for such a great recipe. Im a novice in baking so my cake coming out perfectly is a big thing for me…love n hugs
welcome pooja. good to know. thanks for sharing this as it will help the readers who would want to bake the cake in tandoor.
Hi Dessana,
I am a frequent visitor of our food blog and tried lots of recipes. All of them turned out really good! Today I baked this cake. I was a bit concerned because of some of the comments mentioned here but mine turned out superb!! I also tried your Strawberry milkshake today and it was also delicious. Truly appreciate your efforts in putting each recipe in detail with the pictures. Keep up the good work and best wishes!!
thanks jomcy for sharing positive feedback on cake. in baking there are many chances of things going here. specially if the recipe is not followed as it is. glad to know that you visit the blog regularly.
Hey dassana I’m very satisfied with the outcome of my cake,sending this little note to thank you I last baked 25 years ago in my early 20s a few months ago I bought an oven after our silver jubilee I was inspired after reading and going thro your web site I’ll shall continue to use your and consult your site for all types of foooood thank you so so much continue inspiring others God bless .
thats very nice to know, madhu. i am touched 🙂 do continue doing what you love. when we do what we love and our passionate about, it satisfies us creatively and makes us feel good. do try the baking recipes and if any issue, then feel free to ask or comment. we all learn 🙂
Can you use cake flour instead of wheat and maida?
ramya, i have never tried. you can give it a try.