• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with lightly oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
• Pit the dates if they are not pitted. Measure or weigh them after they have been pitted. Discard the pit. Place the pitted dates in a large glass bowl.
• In a saucepan, add water and almond milk, cover with a lid, warm over medium heat, and bring to a low boil.
• Remove from the heat, pour over the pitted dates, and cover the bowl with a large plate. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined. Set aside.
• Bring back the bowl with the dates and lukewarm liquid. Pour everything in a high-speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
• Pour the lukewarm date mixture in the bowl with the dry ingredients, and add oil, and vanilla extract.
• Use a rubber spatula to gently stir and combine everything together until smooth and consistent.
• Pour the cake batter in the prepared pan.
• Bake in the center rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it, meaning the cake is baked, but still moist.
• Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes in the pan at room temperature, then on a cooling rack for 3 hours before frosting.

Frosting

• In a saucepan, add chocolate chips, almond butter, almond milk, and pitted dates.
• Bring over medium heat, and stir until the chocolate chips are melted. The dates won't dissolve, but the warm mixture softens the dates, and that's the goal of adding them to the pan now. It takes a few minutes to melt.
• Remove from the heat, pour into a food processor, add the cocoa powder, and process on high speed.
• Stop the food processor a few times, scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, and repeat until most of the dates are blended and turned into a smooth frosting - you will always have tiny bits of dates, and that's ok.
• Spread over the cooled cake.