Date Cake • Moist, Rich, and Naturally Sweet Date Cake Recipe • Two Purple Figs

This date cake is soft, moist, and full of natural sweetness from plump, juicy dates. With warm notes of cinnamon, ginger and Chai spice laced in caramel like flavor from the dates, it’s the perfect cake recipe. Great for cozy gatherings, afternoon tea, or even a breakfast treat. Whether you serve it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with cream cheese frosting, this easy date cake will become your go-to bake for every season.

Well YEARS ago we shared my Mom’s signature Orange Chai Spice Date Muffins. An old family recipe that always WOWS because of the richness of it. Sweet dates, zesty orange and warm chai spice all in one bite.

This date cake recipe is a whole cake version of it, which feels like a warm hug. If you love dates, we can’t urge you enough to try this Double Chocolate Date Zucchini Bread. The secret to this chocolate zucchini bread are bits of dates in the batter. They bake to melt in your mouth sweetness, and add extra moisture to your bakes for days.

Our other popular recipes where dates are added for an extra something can be found here. Instant Chia Chocolate Pudding, Espresso Brownie Chocolate Smoothie, Instant Chia Pumpkin Pudding and our Vegan Oatmeal Cookies.

Why You’ll Love This Date Cake

• Naturally sweet. Dates add rich caramel flavor without refined sugar overload.
• Moist & tender. This cake stays moist and fresh for days and days guaranteed!
• One bowl Prep. Minimal mess and easy cleanup! We love a one bowl bake, it makes baking feel like a breeze.
• Perfect for any occasion. While it’s ideally a breakfast cake, it works so well for the Fall and Holidays.
• Simple Ingredients. You’ll need really simple and pantry staple ingredients for this recipe.
• Forgiving. This cake is super forgiving! Meaning you can’t really mess it up. For example  it has enough moisture to sustain your over bake.
• Customizable! You can add shredded coconut, skip the orange zest, add more chai, swap the nuts etc.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dates. Medjool or Deglet Noor for sweetness and moisture, pitted.
• Boiling water. Softens the dates for a smooth batter, and adds moisture to the cake.
• Oil. For richness and also keeps the cake moist. You can use melted butter for flavor.
• Eggs .Binds the cake and adds structure.
• Brown sugar. Enhances caramel notes and adds extra moisture to the cake.
• Flour  and salt.  Creates a tender crumb.
• Baking soda & baking powder.  For lift and lightness. Measure using a teaspoon.
• Chai Spice. We add to that ground cinnamon , ground ginger for extra warm aromatic flavor. You can add extra cloves and cardamom.
• Orange Zest and juice. For a note of citrus, fresh and bright addition to the cake that you will LOVE!
• Optional add-ins. Chopped hazelnuts, raisins, chocolate chips.

How to Make Date Cake Step By Step

Prep the dates

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Chop dates and place them in a bowl with boiling water.
3. Let the dates soften for 10 minutes, then optionally you can mash lightly. Or, leave them chunky as we did here, or even more you can puree them with the water using an immersion blender.

Make the batter

1. Add the eggs, brown sugar and orange zest in a bowl. This is the main bowl to make the cake so choose a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat the mixture using an electric mixer or machine with a paddle attachment. You can also do so using a hand held whisk.
3. The mixture should be light and foamy.
4. At that point add in the oil and continue mixing for one minute.
5. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl separately. This includes flour, salt, baking power and baking soda along with the spices.
   
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and switch to a spatula to avoid over mixing the batter.
7. Once you have the dry ingredients blended into the wet ingredients, you’re ready to add the date mixture aall at once.
   
8. Fold that in really well. As we mentioned above, you can keep the dates chunky as we did, mash or puree them. Whatever you prefer, it all works.
   
9. Now it’s time for add-ons such as raisins, nuts, and coconut shreds if using.
10. Fold everything into the batter using a spatula and the batter is ready.

Bake

1. Prepare a bundt pan or 10 inch cake pan. Depending on your pan you can spray it with oil or use parchment paper to line the pan.
2. Pour the batter into a greased pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
   
3. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan before attempting to remove it.

Serve 

1. Serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar.
2. You can also glaze it with a Cream Cheese Icing or an orange glaze similar to the one used in Orange Carrot Cake.

Tips for the Best Date Cake

1. Use quality dates and make sure they are pitted.
2. Soften dates fully so that they blend into the entire batter for moistness and flavor.
3. Use fresh spices always!  Old spices lose aroma and impact flavor.
4. You can swap the oil for butter for utmost richness and flavor, we felt oil was enough here.
5. Don’t over mix the batter to keep the crumb light and tender.
6. Orange zest and vanilla compliment the flavors so beautifully here, don’t skimp.
7. For extra richness, fold in chocolate chips along with the nuts and raisins.
8. Use a bundt pan for an old fashioned cake style. You can choose square or round cake pans too.
9. Don’t forget to make them into Date Muffins for a quicker bake time and perfect portion sizes.
10. Glaze glaze glaze! Try our Cream Cheese Icing and Homemade Caramel Sauce. Also try the same glaze used in this Orange Carrot Cake. SO GOOD!

How do I store Date Cake?

Once the cake has cooled, it’s best to keep the cake in an airtight container. You can leave it at room temperature for up to 5 days. If glazed however it’s best to store it in the fridge.

What does date cake taste like?

It’s rich and moist, with caramel-like sweetness from dates and warm spice notes. It has a perfect texture from the dates that melt in your mouth. That with the light crunch from the nuts and a tender crumb. While most popularly it’s known to have chopped walnuts, we love hazelnuts most.

Can I make date cake without sugar?

Not entirely. While dates provide natural sweetness, so you can reduce the added sugar especially if glazing.

Is date cake healthy?

It’s hard to call desserts healthy, but you can for sure say it’s healthier than others. Dates are a great sweetener compared to sugar, and you can use whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour adds extra fiber, check our  Whole Wheat Banana Bread.

Can I freeze date cake?

Yes, wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

What’s the best date variety for baking?

Medjool dates are preferred for their soft texture and intense sweetness.

Serving Ideas

• Perfect with a cup of tea, coffee or milk.
• With vanilla ice cream for a great and luscious dessert  drizzled with Homemade Caramel Sauce.
• For breakfast, serve with yogurt and honey drizzle.

One Bowl Cakes

Orange Carrot Cake
Mandarin Orange Cake
Olive Oil Cake
Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Apple Muffins
Bran Muffins