Date Cake (1 Bowl, No Butter, No Eggs)

This Date Cake is a delicious tea cake filled with juicy pieces of Medjool dates and light orange flavors. It’s a great cake to serve with a maple olive oil caramel or peanut butter caramel and a cup of tea.

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I love making healthier cakes, like my Chocolate Coconut Cake but I also love the flavors of dates and oranges together, so I made a special cake just for that.

While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, process shots, and baking tips!

Date Cake

This Date Cake is a delicious tea cake filled with juicy pieces of Medjool dates and light orange flavors. It's a great cake to serve with a maple olive oil caramel or peanut butter caramel and a cup of tea.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

cool: 3 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 204 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 cup Medjool Dates - pitted, finely chopped, 5.5 oz/155g (note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup Boiling Water - (note 2)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 3)
• ▢ ½ cup Orange Juice - (note 4) about 1 small orange + 1 tablespoon zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 2 cups All-Purpose Flour - (note 5)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ ½ cup Muscovado Sugar - (note 6)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt

Optional

• ▢ ½ cup Chopped Walnuts - (note 7)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with oil. Set aside.
• Finely chop the pitted dates into small bits. I like to cut each in half lengthwise and then chop in the other direction to form small cubes.
• In a large mixing glass bowl, add the chopped dates and boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate to prevent the water from evaporating. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Bring back the bowl with the date mixture, and stir in muscovado sugar, orange juice, olive oil, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of orange zest, if you like its tangy flavor.
• Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• Stir to combine and form a smooth cake batter.
• Fold in the chopped walnuts if used, and stir to incorporate evenly.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake at 350°F (180°C) on the center rack for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let it cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a cooling rack. Keep it at room temperature for a few hours before slicing.

Notes

Note 1: You can use other types of dates but they are less moist and the cake will be drier.

Note 2: Make sure you measure the water after boiling, you need the amount to be precise, not evaporated as it’s used as a binder in the recipe.

Note 3: Or melted plant-based butter or other light-flavor oil.

Note 4: If you don’t like the orange flavor, swap for any milk, like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.

Note 5: White whole wheat or white spelt flour. I don’t recommend all-purpose gluten-free flour for this cake.

Note 6: You need the sugar in the cake because the dates are not blended, they don’t sweeten the cake crumb. I like muscovado sugar in this cake because it’s refined sugar-free and has more moisture than coconut sugar. Other tasty options are soft brown sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar – but the cake is a bit dry with this last option.

Note 7: Or chopped pecans, chopped almonds, or skip it for a nut-free option as seen in my pictures.

Storage: Store the cake unsliced in the fridge in an airtight box to keep it moist and fresh. Keep it for up to 4 days. Freeze it in a sealed box for up to 1 month. Thaw it the day before at room temperature.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (from 12 slices) | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.5g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 6.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.4g | Sodium: 169.1mg | Potassium: 141.8mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 39.4IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 61.3mg | Iron: 1.3mg | Magnesium: 13.7mg | Phosphorus: 47mg | Zinc: 0.2mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a handful of wholesome ingredients to make these, here’s how to pick and swap them:

• Medjool Dates – They provide sweetness and moisture, and a rich, caramel-like flavor. It’s a date cake, so you can’t swap it.
• Water – Boiled water softens the dates and helps them release their natural sugars.
• Light Olive Oil – This adds moisture and tenderness. Melted plant-based butter or other light-flavor oils are fine too.
• Orange Juice – This adds a bright, citrus flavor. Dairy-free milk works as well.
• Vanilla Extract – This enhances the overall flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour – This provides structure to the cake. White whole wheat or white spelt flour also work.
• Baking Powder – This helps the cake rise and makes a soft and fluffy crumb.
• Baking Soda – This helps the cake rise and adds tenderness.
• Muscovado Sugar – This sweetens the cake with a rich, molasses-like flavor. Brown sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar also work.
• Cinnamon – This adds warm, sweet spice.
• Chopped Walnuts – They contribute a nutty flavor and crunch. Chopped pecans or almonds also work.

How to Make Date Cake

This is a really easy cake to make in one bowl. Here’s how in a few pictures.

Chop the dates and let them soak in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Pour them in a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients.

Stir the batter until it’s just combined and transfer it to a springform pan.

Bake the cake at 350°F (180°C) on the center rack for 25-35 minutes.

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips to make sure you make the best cake you can!

• Check Baking – Don’t overbake the cake! Remove it from the oven as soon as it’s golden brown and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• More Crunch – Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for a lovely crunch in the crumb
• Moist Topping – Serve the cake with caramel to add moisture – try my maple olive oil caramel or peanut butter caramel for healthy options.
• Sugar Needed – Don’t skip the added sugar. While dates are sweet, since they are not blended in the batter, they don’t sweeten it too much. Without sugar, the crumb will be dry and not sweet, the sweetness will only appear where the piece of dates appears, which to me, is not sweet enough.

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