This light date walnut cake is studded with crunchy walnuts both soaked & blended dates as well as chopped dates for the best flavor + texture combo. Butter (not oil) keeps this cake rich and tender, and it's not overly sweet since there's less than a cup of sugar.
This Date Cake Can Be Served Morning, Noon, and Night
My in-laws are from Iraq, and dates have always been on the table at their home, snacked on with tea, the way they've been enjoyed across the Middle East for centuries. This date walnut cake is my way of honoring that, with a little Humbly Homemade twist.
What I love most about this recipe is what it doesn't require. No layers, no frosting, no fuss. You soak the dates, blend them, and fold them into the batter to create one of the most moist, naturally sweetened cakes ever. My in-laws taste-tested it and gave it their seal of approval, which honestly, meant everything.
Most date cake recipes online either drown the fruit in sugar or lean so heavily on spice that you lose the dates entirely. Instead, I kept the dates the star. The trick to baking with dates though is to soak them in hot water with a sprinkle of baking soda, which neutralizes their tannins to retain that natural caramel sweetness.
For another fun take on a classic Middle Eastern bake, try my baklava cheesecake next. And dates pair just as beautifully in my mamool cookies, which are definitely worth adding to your list.
Let's Bake Date Walnut Cake Together!
Baking Tips from My Kitchen
- Greasing: You can use the empty wrapper from your stick of butter to grease your baking dish.
- Dates: Make sure you remove all the pits from the dates. I nearly broke a food processor by letting one date slip through the cracks! And any soft date works here; I usually use Medjool.
- Spice: I kept the flavor of this cake subtle so the dates & walnuts shine, but I've also tested it with a little ground cinnamon & cardamom mixed in, which was also delicious.
- Nuts: If you're not a fan of walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pistachios all worked in testing. Or skip the nuts entirely if you prefer a smoother crumb.
Date Walnut Cake
developed & tested by:
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dates, pitted, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (one stick)
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda, divided
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch round baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, add one cup of the pitted dates and add one teaspoon of the baking soda. Cover with boiling water and set aside and let the dates soak for 10 to 15 minutes until they've softened.
- Use a blender or food processor to blend the softened dates and the water they were soaked in to form a paste. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a stand mixer or electric hand whisk to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until it is smooth and pale yellow, after about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again until it is smooth, after about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and the remaining ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Add the wet ingredients and the blended dates into the dry ingredients and mix just until you no longer see pockets of dry flour.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts and remaining ½ cup dates, roughly chopped. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Notes
- Equipment: If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can mash the dates by hand with a fork in a bowl. Just drain the water into a separate bowl while mashing, so it doesn't splash around, then add it back in to form a creamy paste.
- Storing: Wrap fully cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the fridge for a few extra days. I like to reheat leftover cake slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Maria says
I had a bunch of dates left over and tried this cake, and wow, was it delicious! I love that it wasn't too sweet! I didn't have walnuts and threw in some pecans instead. It came out perfect, and I topped it with a light mascarpone frosting! SO GOOD!
Mariel says
I love date cake, and I definitely love this one! I've had a few variations in cafes before, but I think this one is my favorite! I love how simple it is. It's great with coffee for breakfast, since I'm not a big fan of American coffee cakes.
Jameela says
Delicious cake! I made this two weeks ago for a friend's baby shower, and I topped it with a honey buttercream and edible flowers. Everyone loved the flavor of the cake, and the date pieces inside.
Carissa Erzen says