Eggless Date Cake | Date Nut Bread

Eggless Date Cake is a soft and moist, simple, and delicious old-fashioned traditional dessert prepared mainly during Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday gatherings. But you can always serve this very dark date nut bread for breakfast, as a snack with coffee or tea, or as an after-meal dessert.

While you are here, don't forget to check out our old-fashioned classic Christmas cake and eggless dark brown Christmas plum cake.

Recipe card

Eggless Date Cake | Date Nut Bread

Kushi

Eggless date cake is a soft and moist, simple, and delicious old-fashioned traditional dessert prepared mainly during Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday gatherings. But you can always serve this very dark date nut bread for breakfast, as a snack with coffee or tea, or as an after-meal dessert.

5 from 22 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Desserts, sweets

Cuisine American, European, Indian

Servings 10

Calories 287 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Loaf pan
• ▢
  Bundt Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 oz Dates , pitted (220 grams, small 30 dates)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups Milk (Use non dairy milk for vegan version)
• ▢ 4 tablespoon Butter ,softened (Use coconut oil for vegan version)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour or Maida
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda
• ▢ 1 cup Sugar (check tips)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Almonds , chopped (feel free to use walnuts or pecans)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Cashews , chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Raisins , chopped

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking pan with butter or line it with parchment paper and keep it ready. I have baked this in a 10 inch bundt pan as well as a loaf pan. Both works. Just the baking time varies.
• Grind dates and milk together to form a smooth, thick paste.
  8 oz Dates, 1 ½ cups Milk
• Transfer this to a bowl. Add butter and mix using a whisk or electric hand-held mixer.
  4 tablespoon Butter
• To this, add all-purpose flour (maida), salt, sugar, and baking soda and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
  1 ½ cups All-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1 cup Sugar
• Now add the chopped almonds, cashews, and raisins and mix until combined.
  1 tablespoon Almonds, 1 tablespoon Cashews, 1 tablespoon Raisins
• Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or till the knife inserted comes out clean. Baking time varies depending on the oven, the pan you bake, and the thickness of the cake.
• Let the cake sit for atleast 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife to loosen the edges. Transfer it to the cooling rack. Let it cool down entirely even before you slice it.

Video

Notes

• Seedless or pitted dates are used in the recipe. 
• I always dry roast the nuts before adding them to the batter. It enhances the taste but is optional.
• Reduce the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the dates. The color of the cake may vary from what you see here, depending on the dates you have used.
• I have used whole milk. You can use any non-dairy milk to make vegan cake or even 2%, or skim milk. 
• Use a bundt pan or bread loaf pan of your desired shape. The thickness and baking time may vary accordingly.
• You can top the cake with more nuts, cream cheese frosting, or even powdered sugar to give it a festive look. 
• You can cut down on fat or substitute butter with oil to make it vegan. 
• I love the crunchiness that nuts give to the recipe. You can skip the nuts entirely if you love a plain dark date loaf cake. 
• Flour can be substituted with wheat flour. The color, taste, and texture of bread will vary accordingly. 
• You can use walnuts or pecans to make old-fashioned date nut bread during Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 274mgPotassium: 251mgFiber: 3gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 202IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Best holiday sweet bread recipe

1. The addition of dates to the cake adds a caramel-like flavor and makes your cake moist, and when combined with almonds, raisins, and cashews, takes the cake to the next level.
2. You can simply use dates and walnuts to make a date walnut cake, which is very popular in America and Europe during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.
3. This dates cake is eggless and can be easily made vegan with dairy-free substitutes. It is one of the easiest cake or bread loaves you will ever bake.
4. Bake this in a bundt pan to make eggless date cake or in a loaf pan to make date bread.

Also, check out our vegan apple date bread prepared for Thanksgiving and Christmas, vegan almond and fig cake.

Ingredients

Dates: use any soft, pitted dates like Medjool.

Milk: I have used full-fat milk. Feel free to use 2% or skim milk or dairy-free milk to make vegan date cake.

All-purpose flour: Gives structure to the bread. You can substitute with whole wheat flour or use ½ flour and ½ wheat flour. The texture will vary accordingly.

Baking soda: Helps the bread rise.

Sugar: We have used granulated sugar. You can skip the sugar to make it sugar-free or reduce the amount for mild sweetness.

Melted butter: Makes your bread rich and moist. You can use coconut oil instead to make vegan date loaf.

Nuts: I have combined roasted almonds, cashews, and raisins. You can use walnuts or pecans.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking pan with butter or line it with parchment paper and keep it ready. I have baked this in a bundt pan as well as a loaf pan. Both works. Just the baking time varies. 

Step 1: Grind dates and milk together to form a smooth, thick paste.

Step 2: Transfer this to a bowl. 

Step 3: To this, add softened butter.

Step 4: Mix using a whisk or electric hand-held mixer. 

Step 5: To this, add all-purpose flour (maida), salt, sugar, and baking soda.

Step 6: Mix until combined. Do not overmix.

Step 7: Now add the chopped almonds, cashews, and raisins and mix until combined. You can use any nuts of your choice.

Step 8: The eggless date cake batter is ready.

Step 9: Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or till the knife inserted comes out clean. Baking time varies depending on the oven, the pan you bake, and the thickness of the cake.

Step 10: Let the cake sit for atleast 5 to 10 minutes. Run a knife to loosen the edges. Transfer it to the cooling rack. Let it cool down entirely even before you slice it.

Tips to make the best date loaf cake

• Seedless or pitted dates are used in the recipe. 
• I always dry roast the nuts before adding them to the batter. It enhances the taste but is optional.
• Reduce the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the dates. The color of the cake may vary from what you see here, depending on the dates you have used.
• I have used whole milk. You can use any non-dairy milk to make vegan cake or even 2%, or skim milk. 
• Use a bundt pan or bread loaf pan of your desired shape. The thickness and baking time may vary accordingly.
• You can top the cake with more nuts, cream cheese frosting, or even powdered sugar to give it a festive look. 
• You can cut down on fat or substitute butter with oil to make it vegan. 
• I love the crunchiness that nuts give to the recipe. You can skip the nuts entirely if you love a plain dark date loaf cake. 
• Flour can be substituted with wheat flour. The color, taste, and texture of bread will vary accordingly. 
• You can use walnuts or pecans to make old-fashioned date nut bread during Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Store and Make-ahead

• This cake can be served after it has come to room temperature, but in my opinion, it tastes even better once it has sat at least overnight.
• Cover and keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.
• You can also freeze the cake for up to three months. Double wrap to avoid freezer burns.
• Date cake or date loaf is one of the best make-ahead holiday desserts. You can also wrap them and give them to your family in the form of gifts during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Note: We originally posted this eggless dates cake recipe baked in bundt pan in sept 2015. It has now been modified in Oct 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.

More eggless dessert recipes

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