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
It came out not nice ๐ฅฒ it tastes so good but too sticky and it looks like itโs undone but after leaving it more than an hour in the oven I thought for sure itโs done , itโs just too sticky or not enough flour or too much oil!!
It came out like a block and looks more like a sticky custard cake!!
What did I do wrong? I used your X3 recipe, was hoping to freeze some for later
Had just harvested some dates from my tree and used that not majdoul
Hi there! Do you know what kind of dates your tree grows? Other varieties may require more soaking since Medjool dates are the softest and easiest to use for baking. Did you make sure to soak them in hot milk for over an hour? I think that the type of date and leaving the cake in the oven for double the amount of time were likely the reasons why your cake turned out too sticky and dense (though this cake does tend to be on the denser side, even when using Medjool dates). You said you tripled the recipe as well; did you bake the cake in a larger cake pan or bake 3 separate cakes?
Can you use hot water or almond milk to make it dairy free?? Many thanks
Yes, you can use plant milk instead of cow’s milk. Hope you enjoy!
This cake was perfect for an 11 month birthday celebration for my baby! Itโs so delicious. Perfect for the whole family for breakfast in the morning. I canโt wait to continue doing this recipe, maybe with some cardamom in the fall. Someone said the olive oil was too much, I completely disagree! Great moist cake.
Aww, I love that!! So happy it was a hit at your baby’s birthday celebration. Thank you so much, Tessa!
Beautiful moist cake. Did not have milk, soaked dates in hot water and added 2 tsp of butter in mixture. It turned out great. Drizzled the top with some honey and some cream on the side. Would make it again, next time with the milk. Thanks for sharing
So happy you were able to make it work with what you had on hand! Thank you for sharing, Mady!!
We all LOVED this cake! Naturally sweet, soft and moist. This has become now our favorite (including my toddler who doesnโt eat refined sugar). The syrup turned out a bit thick and I know why but I will keep making it this way because It added a beautiful thick layer to the cake and I was able to make a nice decoration out of it. Thank you, Yumna!!
Awesome!! So happy it was a hit with your family and love that you were able to make a design with the date syrup! Thank you, Nouhad!!
Hi there. I made the cake today. It turned out really well. The only problem was the oil was bit too much for the recipe. The smell of olive oil was overpowering. Last time when I made it I had less olive oil so I put whatever I had. Overall, itโs good. Fluffy, soft and moist.
Thanks for the feedback, Suhair! So glad you liked the cake!!
Can I just add the dates and hot milk to the blender? Do I have to wait an hour?
I don’t recommend skipping this stepโsoftening the dates makes them easier to blend, helps distribute them evenly, and prevents tough spots in the cake. It may not take a full hour, though! You just have to soak them until they’re softened.
Can I freeze the cake for future enjoyment?
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.
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