Date Cake
Updated Aug 20, 2025
This Date Cake is tender, moist, and naturally sweetened without refined sugar. It's one of those mid-week desserts that's just so good!
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NO-Added Sugar DATE CAKE
This date cake and a variation of it as a date bread are having moment on social media, and of course I had to jump on this recipe since dates are my favorite. They have just-the-right amount of sweetness and have an almost fudgy texture so I grab one almost daily for a sweet treat.
I just love that I can make this date cake with no added sugar because of the natural sweetness of the dates. Sometimes I top it off with crushed walnuts and other times with my 2-ingredient date syrup because it reminds me of a healthier version of sticky toffee pudding. The cake is slightly dense and very moist, and the syrup soaks into the cake a bit as it cools… it’s so good!
Happy Baking!
– Yumna
Date Cake Ingredients
- Dates: You’ll want to use Medjool dates, which are larger, softer, and sweeter easy-to-remove pits but you can use any dates.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work, but I prefer whole milk because it adds the most flavor!
- Flour: I use all-purpose as I prefer to add my own leavening to the batter. You can also use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour brand.
- Baking powder and soda: The leaveners! They help the cake rise.
- Eggs: These add moisture and structure to the date cake. To make the cake egg-free, swap in a vegan egg replacer.
- Olive oil: This makes the cake moist but also adds a lot of flavor. I recommend using regular olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil, which is more potent.
- Vanilla extract: If you have vanilla paste, you can use that instead.
How to Make Date Cake
While this date cake is super easy to make, just note the dates require an hour to soak in the milk before you can start baking!
Date Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups (9-ounces) medjool pitted dates
- 1 ¼ cup hot milk
- cooking spray
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Date syrup for topping (about ¼ cup)
Instructions
- Place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover with hot milk. Soak for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan by lining the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides with cooking spray.
- After the dates have softened, transfer them with the milk to a blender or food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Add the eggs, oil and vanilla extract and blend again until just combined, about 5-8 seconds.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the date and egg mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
- Flip the cake out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and transfer it to a wire rack.
- Slowly pour date syrup over the warm cake, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Enjoy warm or allow to cool completely and store covered at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. You want to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they’re both just combined. Overmixing the two together could result in a tough date cake!
- Make sure to grease and line the cake pan. I like to cut out a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of my cake pan and then will still grease the cake pan! This ensures zero sticking.
- Use a toothpick to test doneness. How do you tell when the date cake is done? Grab a toothpick! If a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with batter or lots of crumbs on it, the cake needs more time in the oven. If not, it’s done!
- Add walnuts on top before baking. Adding whole (or even chopped) walnuts on top of the cake before baking is not only beautiful but allows the nuts to toast as the cake bakes.
FAQs
This cake, without the syrup on it, will last at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you pour the syrup on it, I like to stash it in the fridge which will help keep things firmed up!
Yes, date cake freezes very well. You can freeze it either whole or in slices, and make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before freezing. You can freeze it for up to 3 months and then defrost it at room temperature before serving.
Comments
Hello! Can I substitute the oil for butter, 1:1 ratio?
Hi! I haven’t tried making this cake with butter, but if my calculation is correct, you should need about 14 tablespoons. Let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Can this be made with two 6 inch cake pans instead of a 9 inch pan? Just curious, canโt wait to try your recipe. Thanks!
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried it, but it should work! Donโt fill the pans more than about โ full. If your 6-inch pans have shorter sides, you may have a little extra batter depending on the exact pan depth. I’d start checking earlier, around 22โ28 minutes. Be sure to bake until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Amazing recipe ! As Iโm looking into cutting down sugar it was a wonderful surprise to come across such a perfect recipe with no added sugar. Thanks so much for your generosity on sharing this gem.
I’m so happy to hear you found something delicious that fits with your nutrition goals! I hope you enjoy it again and again!
Thank you! A friend came to dinner who recently had to give up the trifecta of vices – coffee, wine and sugar. I wanted to make something to let her know I support her in the quest for better health and this was perfect!
I added walnuts & a light touch of cinnamon and cardamom to the cake and served it with maple sweetened sautรฉed apples flavored with Ras el Hanout. only change Iโd make next time is cut down the oil , it was a bit oily. Fab!
That’s so thoughtful of you to make something special for your friend! I love that you used the cake as a way to support her. It sounds like such a lovely dinner. Your additions sound incredible, too. The walnuts, cinnamon, and cardamom must have paired beautifully with the dates, and those maple-sweetened apples with Ras el Hanout sound amazing alongside it. Thanks so much for sharing how you made it your own!
So easy and delicious! Best of all, itโs healthy with no added sugar and butter. I used sliced almonds because I didnโt have walnuts. Definitely a keeper! Will make it again!
Sliced almonds are a great substitution! I’m so glad you found a keeper!
I like this recipe not only was the Date Cake so good and stayed moist for days, it was easy clean up, made it in the food processor and no need to mess another bowl!
I’m so happy to hear that! And I’m with you, any time I can have one less dish to clean, I’m all for it. So glad you enjoyed the cake!
This is a great cake. Im out of town and didnt have my usual kitchen stuff (as in I got it in the oven and realized that i didnt have toothpicks or a serving plate). First time using the oven too. I added a little bit of baking soda to the hot milk to soften the dates. Can you substitute date paste? I also used almond milk instead of regular milk. Worked fine.
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Michele, yes, you can use date paste! I recommend using 1 1/2 cups of date paste (which equals 2 cups of dates). So glad you liked the cake!
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