Date Cake

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5 from 14 votes

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www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com

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 Time30

Cook Time25

cool3

Total Time4 25

Servings: slices

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Ingredients

1 cup Medjool Dates pitted, finely chopped, 5.5 oz/155g (note 1)
1 cup Boiling Water (note 2)
⅓ cup Mild-Flavor 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)

US Customary - Metric

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. You will use this water in the cake batter. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Bring back the bowl with the date/water mixture - keep the water - 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. For a gluten-free version, use my gluten-free conversion guide.

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.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Nutrition