Published: Jan 6, 2023 by sushma iyer · This post may contain affiliate links

The Best Eggless Date and Walnut Cake recipe

The ultimate combination of fresh dates and slightly bitter and crunchy walnuts make this Eggless Date and Walnut Cake irresistible.

This Dates cake is a moist and tender loaf cake with no eggs and also no added sugar.

Made with natural sugar this cake is something that your grandmother would have stirred in your kitchen making it an old-fashioned date cake recipe that you must definitely try!!!

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The secret to Super Moist Dates Cake

The secret to super moist cake is… well, dates.

And not just any dates. Fresh ones.

They contain natural sugars that work well in baked goods, and they're naturally moist, which means they can keep your cake from getting dry.

And when you grind them (like we do in this recipe) they surprisingly taste like molasses which makes it taste similar to a celebration cake.

WHAT KIND OF DATES SHOULD I USE?

To make this recipe, you'll want to use dates that are soft and not hard.

My favorite kind has always been Medjool dates.

This is my preferred kind for any recipe be it for making stuffed dates recipe or be it this eggless date and walnut cake recipe.

Other than that you can also use deglet nour dates.

Consider reading this article by The Kitchen on baking with dates for more additional information.

But no matter which type of dates you use, I prefer and recommend soaking them in hot milk to soften them so that they can blend to a fine paste once blended.

Does this walnut cake recipe need frosting on top?

This delicious date walnut cake does not require any kind of frosting.

It is a tea cake meant to be served plain along with a cup of coffee or a cup of tea.

That being said if you intend to make this on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries then opt for cream cheese frosting - the heart of any carrot cake goes well with this eggless dates cake recipe as well.

What size loaf pan do I need?

Firstly more than the size let me share the type of cake pans one should use to make any type of cake recipe.

Always prefer aluminum pans over any other metal preferably in a lighter shade.

That being said I myself am using the dark coated loaf pan of size 7x3 inches for this recipe.

Since I have been baking for a long time I can get away with it but if you are a beginner or just starting out in baking then it is better to invest in good quality pans as they not only last longer but also affect the final product.

Ingredients:

20-25 Dates pitted - I prefer using fresh Medjool dates. For this recipe, I am using 22 dates that weighed 336 gms once the seeds were removed.
1 + 1/4 cups Hot Milk - Using hot milk reduces the time duration for which the dates need to be soaked. Use almond milk or soy milk to make a vegan dates cake.
1/2 cup Oil - Any flavorless oil works perfectly fine. Can replace it with melted unsalted butter.
1 cup whole wheat flour - Feel free to swap it with all-purpose flour / plain flour.
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup (60 gms) Walnuts - chopped. Feel free to use other dry fruits like raisins, almonds, or a combination of them instead of just walnut halves.

Find the detailed recipe in a printable format in the recipe card below at the end of the page.

Instructions

Pit the dates and soak them in hot milk for 1.5 to 2 hours. This ensures that the dates are soft enough to be blended into a fine paste. (Use chopped dates to reduce the soaking time).

preparatory steps to make dates cake — preparatory steps

In the meantime sieve the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix. Set aside.
Take out 1 tbsp of this sieved flour mixture and add it to the chopped walnuts. Mix well to coat them and set aside too. (This ensures that the walnuts do not sink to the bottom of the pan whilst baking.)
Oil the base and sides of the loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

1.5 - 2 hours later

blend soaked dates to smooth paste — Blend soaked dates

After 1.5 hours, Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 360 degrees F
Blend the soaked dates along with the milk to form a smooth paste.

Transfer this date mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and whisk together to form a homogenous mixture using a balloon whisk. This is your wet ingredients.

Time to add the dry ingredients. Add all of the sieved flour and fold using the cut-and-fold method using a spatula until most of the dry flour is incorporated.
Finally, add the coated walnuts and fold everything to form a smooth cake batter.

Transfer to the prepared pan. Level the top off
Top it with additional chopped walnuts and bake in the pre-heated oven of 180°C for 45-50 mins till the cake looks golden brown or until a skewer comes out clean without any cake crumbs or moisture.

baked date and walnut cake placed on a white parchment paper with milk on the sides — baked date and walnut cake

Once baked let the cake cool in the cake pan itself for another 3 mins and then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Serve plain with a cup of tea or coffee or along with a side of sour cream.

If you soak the cake ahead of time then this date and walnut cake takes just 10 mins to put together. Super easy and yet yields a delicious eggless date and walnut cake in no time.

Storage Instructions

This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. In fact, the flavour matures upon resting and the cake tastes best the next day.

Store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.

You can also freeze the cake.

Always cling wrap the cake well tightly and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months

Bakers Tips

The key to making the best cake recipes is by using good quality ingredients. Use fresh locally produced good quality sweet dates for making this moist date and walnut loaf cake.
I like to keep the parchment paper hanging over the sides of the cake pan a little. This makes it easier to lift the cake once baked and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
The time duration needed to bake the cake would vary a lot depending upon how many dates and what quality of dates you are using. Since dates provide moisture to the cake, you have to make sure that the cake is baked well. Keep checking with a skewer every 5 mins after the 40 mins bake time. It took me 50 mins to bake the cake.
You can add some vanilla extract or instant coffee powder or ground cinnamon to bring about some variations in the cake flavor.
A few other variations that you can try would include replacing the dry fruits with chocolate chips. Adding shredded coconut. Or some pineapple chunks or simply replacing the walnuts with pecans or using a combination of nuts like almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.

4 slices of date walnut cake stacked one above the other — slice of date walnut cake

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can this be made as a round cake?

Yes, you can bake this cake in a round cake. 8 inch or 9-inch round cake tin would work perfectly fine. If making it as a celebration cake, one can also choose to frost it with cream cheese frosting.

Are the date and walnut cakes still nice without icing?

Absolutely. But the secret to making the best date and walnut cake is using good quality fresh dates that add lots of moisture and mild sweetness to the cake which matures the more the cake rests. You would feel the cake is mildly sweetened when you taste it warm but the flavor matures the more the cake rests. The next day the cake feels perfectly sweetened so you really do not need to add any sweeteners like brown sugar or caster sugar to the cake mixture and neither does the cake need any frosting to add sweetness.

Can I leave out the walnuts?

Yes, you can but the walnuts do add a nice crunch to otherwise plain cake. The topping of walnuts on the top is roasted perfectly adding a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness of the cake giving an ultimate mouth feel.

How to make this recipe vegan?

The only ingredient you need to swap to make this cake vegan is milk. You can absolutely use almond milk in place of milk to form the date milk mixture.

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closee up image of date walnut cake slice to fit the recipe card

4.66 from 50 votes

The Best Eggless Date and Walnut Loaf Cake

The ultimate combination of fresh dates and slightly bitter and crunchy walnuts make this Eggless Date and Walnut Cake irresistible. This Dates cake is a moist and tender loaf cake with no eggs and also no added sugar.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 2 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 50

Servings slices

Calories 284kcal

Author Sushma Iyer

Ingredients

▢ 20-25 Dates, pitted refer notes
▢ 312 gms (1 + 1/4 cups) Hot Milk
▢ 108 gms (1/2 cup) Oil
▢ 120 gms (1 cup) whole wheat flour
▢ 1 tsp Baking Soda
▢ 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
▢ 60 gms (1/3 cup) Walnuts roughly chopped

Additional walnuts to add on top (optional)

Instructions

Soak the pitted dates in hot milk for around 1.5-2 hours until it becomes soft.
Meanwhile, sieve all the dry ingredients. Remove 1 tbsp of the sieved flour to coat the walnuts so that they do not sink while baking. Also prepare the pan by coating the base and sides with little oil and lining with a parchment paper on top. Set all of this aside.
After 1.5-2 hours, preheat the oven to 180 degree C or 360 degrees F
Blend the soaked dates to a smooth paste and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Do not add any additional liquid while blending.
Whisk in the oil to form a homogenous mixture using a balloon whisk.
Then switch to a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients using cut and fold method.
Finally add the coated walnuts and fold that too.
Transfer to the prepared cake pan. Level and smooth the top. Add more crushed walnuts on top if you prefer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 mins o a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Once baked let it sit in the pan itself for another 3 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and enjoying.

Video

Notes

For this recipe I am using 22 Medjool Dates that weighed 336 gms once pitted,
The size of the cake pan used in the recipe is 7x3 inches
Using Hot Milk to soak the dates reduces the soaking time considerably.
The key to making the best cake recipes is by using good quality ingredients. Use fresh locally produced good quality sweet dates for making this moist date and walnut loaf cake.
I like to keep the parchment paper hanging over the sides of the cake pan a little. This makes it easier to lift the cake once baked and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
The time duration needed to bake the cake would vary a lot depending upon how many dates and what quality of dates you are using. Since dates provide moisture to the cake, you have to make sure that the cake is baked well. Keep checking with a skewer every 5 mins after the 40 mins bake time. It took me 50 mins to bake the cake.
You can add some vanilla extract or instant coffee powder or ground cinnamon to bring about some variations in the cake flavor.
A few other variations that you can try would include replacing the dry fruits with chocolate chips. Adding shredded coconut. Or some pineapple chunks or simply replacing the walnuts with pecans or using a combination of nuts like almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.

Nutrition

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Please Note: This recipe was originally published on Jan 9, 2018, and has now been modified on 04 January 2023 to add step-by-step collage images plus a tutorial along with bakers tips, new images, and also the metric system of units for measuring ingredients. Also updated the nutritional information guide

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