Date and Walnut Cake (Soft, Rich, and Easy to Make)

Name: Date and Walnut Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 34 min
Total time: 104 min
Ingredients: 22-24 large dates (pitted); 1 ½ cups 2 % milk (warmed); ½ cup olive oil (or any other oil); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ⅓ cup walnuts (chopped); cooking spray (for the cake pan)

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This Date and Walnut Cake is moist, rich, and simple to make. It’s naturally sweetened with blended dates in place of added sugar and made with whole wheat flour for a wholesome treat.

a slice of date and walnut cake on a plate.

Dates are such an incredible ingredient for making good-for-you sweet treats. They can be covered in chocolate to make homemade Snicker Candy bars or used as a fiber-rich puree to sweeten cakes. Dates also bring the most incredibly moist texture and caramel flavor to baked goods like this.

Here I sprinkled walnuts onto the batter for a toasty, nutty crunch that works so well. This is a cake I love to make for my kids as an after-school snack, as it’s fuss-free, not too sweet, and very delicious.

For more baking recipes featuring dates, try my Oatmeal Date Bars and Banana Date Nut Bread.

Recipe Overview

Skill Level

Beginner

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

34 mins

Ingredients Needed

Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make Date and Walnut Cake. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.

Dates: Use soft, squishy medjool dates, as they blend nicely to form a smooth puree. If using older, drier dates, you may need to soak them in the milk for longer.
Milk: I use 2% milk as it has a good level of creaminess for this cake. Whole or skim milk also work, as does unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond or soy.
Olive oil: Brings a rich, toasty flavor and gives the cake a soft, moist texture. Neutral oils like vegetable oil also work well. Melted coconut oil is also a great substitute.
Egg: Binds the cake batter and helps it rise, giving it a fluffy texture. Make sure the egg is at room temperature.
Whole wheat flour: I use whole wheat pastry flour as its lower protein content helps the cake turn out light. All-purpose or white pastry flour also works great.
Baking Staples: Baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, cooking spray, and salt
Walnuts: Add crunch and a nutty flavor to the cake. Can be swapped for other nuts like almonds, pecans, or peanuts, too.

How to Make Date and Walnut Cake

Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

collage of 4 images soaking dates, blending in blender, and adding eggs and oil to the mixture to form the wet batter.

Soak and Blend Dates: Add the dates to a bowl and soak them in warm milk for 1 hour, until softened. Then place in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add egg and Oil: Pour the date mixture into a medium-to-large bowl. Add in the egg, vanilla, and oil. Mix together using a whisk to combine.

process shot to adding the flour mixture to form the batter, and then adding to a round pan and topping with chopped walnuts.

Whisk in the flour: Next, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine until a smooth batter is formed.

Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with the chopped walnuts and bake for 32-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

baked date cake in a pan on a wire rack.

Cool and Serve: Let it cool for 5 mins, remove from the pan, and serve.

Variations & Tips

Date Coffee Cake: Mix 1 teaspoon instant espresso with 1 tablespoon hot water, then add to the wet ingredients in step 3.
Chocolate Date Cake: Replace 3 tablespoons of the whole wheat flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. Mix a handful of chocolate chips into the batter.
Date Walnut Muffins: Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes.
When stirring in the dry ingredients, only mix until just combined to prevent overmixing (which can result in a dense cake).
Try adding 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom to the batter.
Serve warm with a spoonful of Greek yogurt for a creamy, tangy topping.
Add an English Breakfast tea bag to the hot milk to infuse the tea’s flavor into the date puree.
For a sweeter cake, stir 2-3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup into the batter.