Date and Walnut Cake

Close-up of a slice of walnut-topped cake on a plate. The cake is moist and brown, with a nutty topping. In the background, more slices are visible on plates, and two forks are placed beside them. The setting is on a light-colored surface.

5 from 7 votes

This Middle Eastern-inspired cake does not have any eggs or refined sugar—it's naturally sweetened from Medjool dates! Moist, dense, and crunchy from chopped walnuts, this is a wholesome 5-ingredient cake to enjoy any time of day.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: date cake, easy cake, easy cake recipe, five ingredient cake, healthy cake

Servings: slices

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

12 Medjool dates pitted
1 cup milk any kind, including vegan milks
½ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil
1 cup self-rising flour
walnuts halves or crushed pieces, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C).
Line a small 7-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. I like to spray it with oil first so that the parchment paper sticks to it.
In a pot on the stove, add the milk and let it come to a simmer. The milk should be hot. (Alternatively, you can warm the milk in a bowl in the microwave.)
Place the pitted dates into a bowl and pour the hot milk over the dates. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or until they are very soft.
Now, add the softened dates and milk into a blender and blend until you have a thick date paste.
Pour this mixture into a bowl, add in the oil, and mix until combined. Stir in the flour and mix again until you have a pourable cake batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and shake gently from side to side to distribute the batter evenly.
Next, add the walnuts on top of the cake, making sure to cover the whole surface.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, slice, and enjoy warm!

Video

Notes

Dairy-free: You can make this Date and Walnut Cake dairy-free by using your favorite unsweetened, non-dairy milk instead of whole milk.
Gluten-free: Use any 1-1 gluten-free flour to make this Date and Walnut Cake. You will also need to add some baking powder, about 1/2 teaspoon for a cup of flour.
Nut alternatives: I love walnuts here, but you could absolutely use chopped pecans or almonds in this cake instead. Feel free to add some chopped nuts to the cake batter as well.

Nutrition