A warm slice of date loaf cake slathered with butter with a cup of tea/coffee is just pure comfort. Not only date loaf cake is great for everyday breakfast, snacks, and dessert the rich and deep flavours of this decadently delicious cake are great for the festive season too.
Dates have a distinct and complex flavour. The flavours of date can be compared to that of caramel or molasses. They also have a subtle nuttiness. Therefore, Dates flavoured cakes also have these deep and complex flavours making them rich and distinct.
Making this date loaf cake is a walk in the park. Super simple recipe with, a handful of ingredients, and straightforward instructions. Your gold whisk/spatula is the only requirement.
Ingredients required:-
The recipe card is provided below with a detailed list and amount of ingredients.
- Dates- Star of the show. Dates provide the necessary moisture and added sweetness to the cake.
- Flour- In this recipe, I am using a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour brings a nuttiness and compliments the taste of dates as well. You can replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or vice versa.
- Milk- Milk is used in this recipe to make dates tender and easier to cook. I’ve used dairy milk but you can replace it with non-dairy or use just simple water.
- Eggs
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Vegetable oil- Oil also helps in providing necessary moisture to the cake. You can use melted butter it will give a rich flavour but moisture will be lost.
- Brown sugar- The deep and rich flavour of dates is enhanced by brown sugar. You can replace it with white sugar.
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds- I have used sunflower and pumpkin seeds because of their nutty taste which compliments the dates. You can any kind of dry fruits you want or can skip this step.
How to make date loaf cake:-
(A recipe card with detailed instructions is provided below. This is a preview of the steps.)
Preparing the dates
Remove the seeds from the dates and chop them down to medium pieces. Soak them in hot milk for 10-15 minutes or until the milk comes to room temperature. Remove some soaked dates into another bowl. Make a puree of dates and pour them into the same bowl as the transferred soaked dates.
Wet ingredients
Add the eggs, oil, and brown sugar. Mix with a whisk/spatula till all ingredients are mixed.
Dry ingredients
Sift in all dry ingredients. Add the nuts/seeds and mix with a spatula till everything is combined.
Baking
Pour the batter into the loaf pan (greased and lined). Bake till a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. After 5 minutes transfer the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage of date loaf cake
After baking let the cake cool down in the loaf pan for 5 minutes then transfer the bread onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
- Store the date loaf cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Put the cake in a zip-lock and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- I do not recommend refrigerating as it can affect the texture of the cake.
If you liked this recipe, try these!
Date Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 230 g Dates (seedless) 25 nos
- 160 g Milk(hot) ½ cup+ 2 tbsp
- 1 Egg medium size
- 55 g Vegetable Oil ¼ cup
- 50 g Brown Sugar ¼ cup
- 100 g Whole wheat Flour ⅔ cup
- 100 g All-purpose flour ⅔ cup
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Remove the seeds of dates and soak them in a bowl with hot milk. Gently mix with a spoon and set aside for 10-15 minutes or till milk comes to room temperature.
- 2. Preheat the oven to 340 ℉/170 ℃. Grease a 20 cm x 11.5 cm x 6 cm loaf pan and line it with parchment/butter paper.
- 3. Remove 3-4 tablespoons of soaked dates into a large bowl. Make a puree from the remaining dates. Add the puree also to the large bowl.
- 4. Add brown sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix until well combined.
- 5. Sift in the dry ingredients, and add the mixed nuts. Mix with a whisk/spatula till well combined.
- 6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan itself for 5-8 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve or store.