This easy Eggless Cake with the flavor of Dates and Walnuts is quick, easy and just out of this world. This recipe was submitted by Annam Arunachalam and we know that during the holiday season it’s just great to have another wonderful cake recipe. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
Dates – 20 (5oz or 150g)
Water – approx 1/2 cup, for soaking
Walnuts – 1/4 cup (30 g), chopped
Sweetened Condensed Milk – 14oz can (396g)
Unsalted Butter – 1 stick (4oz or 113g)
Baking Soda – 1 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
All-purpose Flour – 1 1/4 cups (183 g)
If you would like to use eggs, just add one egg and reduce the amounts to 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
Method:
1. Soak the Dates in warm water for about 30 minutes just to soften them.
2. Sift the All Purpose Flour along with the Baking Powder and the Baking Soda.
3. Press down on any lumps.
4. Make a paste of the Dates using as little water as possible either in a blender or a food processor.
5. Melt the butter so it is soft and mix it to the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & baking powder).
6. Mix in the Dates paste and the Sweetened Condensed Milk. Mix well.
7. Fold in the Walnuts as well.
8. Spray/Grease a baking pan and pour the batter into it.
9. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees C/350 degrees F) for 40 minutes in the center of the oven.
10. Once done, take the cake out and allow it to stand for 5 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
11. Loosen the edges and flip the cake onto a cooling rack.
12. Serve hot or cold.
Annam’s tips:
1. Replace the dates with fruit – pineapples (sounds good)!
2. If you are planning to frost the cake, allow it to cool all the way thru.
3. If the oven door is open in-between according to the temperature some oven will need 50min to bake.
4. If too much water is added to dates while grinding, the cake tends to sink.
Hi Ladies,
After months of wanting to make this cake, I finally got the time and courage to make it. The cake turned out excellent, no sinking in the middle and amazing taste. I must say after reading all the comments and reading about people’s cake sinking in the middle, I was afraid to try it.
One thing I really struggled with was making the date paste. I had soaked it more than 30 mins, used a grinder, blender and finally food professor and after 45 mins, I had a paste with very few chucks. From reading your tips, I knew to use very little water when making the paste so I was super careful of it and that made it more difficult to blend/process.
Anyway, the end results were great and I will make it again…one thing though, if I want to use pineapple, do I cut them into chucks? Please explain.
Thanks Annam for a great recipe.
Since the pineapple adds more moisture to the batter, you can try to use crushed pineapple and probably squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it in. You can use the same amount as you would dates.
I guess I am on a spree now…cooking up your dishes!!
http://riascollection.blogspot.com/2009/06/eggless-hazlenut-dates-cake-and-lesson.html
That’s my version of your cake!!! Pardon me…I just couldn’t wait for the cake to cool down…and look at the mess I made 😀 But! I tastes soooooo good! I LOVED it! so did everyone at home!! Thanks Annam!! 🙂 I loved the crumb! 🙂
thank you:))
thank you for the recipe:)
i wanna bake this cake tmr,
can i use eno instead of baking soda?
Eno has citric acid in it so it would not be good in this recipe.
I made the cake yesterday and it was yummy!! I really liked it! 🙂
The cake was absoulutely YUMMY!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Hetal and Anuja.
one more thing…where will i get flaxseed powder? I am in Melbourne.
does the cake taste same when u substitute it for egg??
We get flaxseed powder (flaxseed meal) at Whole Foods type stores. If the powder is not finely ground, it may give some texture (which is not bad) but you don’t miss the egg.
HI
I tried this with pineapple instead of dates…and guess what..it turned out excellent…soft,spongy and yummy!!
thnx Hetal, Anuja and of course Annam
thnx hetal. that was a quick reply. Actually i want to try that cake t’mrow. My husband really loves pineapple so i thougght od giving it a try. i’ll surely let u now.
The only problem now is i don’t have baking soda right at hand. Can i Use couple of eggs and double the baking powder amount?
oh gosh! Substituting Baking Powder for Baking Soda is easier than the other way around. Baking is a science so adjusting the quantities of the ingredients can drastically change the outcome. When you double the baking powder, you are also doubling the acidifying agent that is in there — may not react well with the other ingredients. You can either experiment with what you have (we’d love to hear about the results) or just run to the grocery store and get you a box of baking soda.
Hi hetal and Anuja,
I love ur site. i have tried couple of ur receipes and other tips as well. it’s jst suburb. I want ask if we can use eno fruit salt instead od baking soda in, dates and walnut cake receipe. Also i am going to try it with fresh pineapple. Can plz advice be amount of pineapple juice to be added.
Hi Harshada,
Eno has citric acid in it so it may make your cake sour. We’ve never tried this recipe with pineapple so it’s a guess…
Pineapple may add more moisture to the batter, so you will have to try a little at a time (about the same amount as the dates). Please let us know how it comes out if you decide to try it.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
This is Nidhi again. I tried this receipe with bananas, but it also not as yummy as with dates in it. Hetal I cannot try your Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread as it has egg’s in it, and i am pure vegetarian.
I wanted to share this receipe with my mom in India, and i was wondering if she can use same amount of home made unsalted butter(made from layer of cream formed on top of boiled milk) for the cake. Will be waiting for your reply.
Thanks,
Nidhi!
Hi Nidhi,
You can substitute the egg with 1 Tbsp of Flaxseed powder mixed with 3 Tbsp of water. Mix and wait until it becomes the consistency of egg – gooey. Then mix in per recipe. Regarding the butter, we have never tried the homemade butter so not sure how it will react. Sorry.
Hi Hetal,
Thanks a lot for ur reply and wonderful sudstitute of egg. I have a doubt,1 Tbsp of Flaxseed powder mixed with 3 Tbsp of water is substitute for 1 egg right?
Nidhi!
I want to used can of crushed pineapple. May I request to ask the quantity we should use?
Since the pineapple adds more moisture to the batter, you will have to try a little at a time (start with just 1/4 to 1/3 can). You should probably squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it in. If you see that it doesn’t make the cake sticky, then you could go up from there the next time.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I tried this cake and it came out really well and was the most delicious eggless cake i have ever tried in my life. I was thinking of using banana’s instead of dates. What’s your opinion about this. Pls. reply..
Thanks a lot,
Nidhi!
Hi Nidhi,
Bananas would work great in this recipe as well. You can also try our Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread as well.
Hey Guys! Thank you for the wonderful recipes! Love ’em!!!
Question: Can we use whole wheat flour instead?
Hi Vidya,
We’ve not tried whole wheat flour in this recipe, but we have substituted it in other recipes that call for all-purpose and it has worked just fine. It should be alright.
Hi Hetal..
First of all thanks for this wonderful recipe.. I just wanted to share with other viewers that I have made this cake 3 times – every time with a different filling and it came out very fantasic. Here’s what I have tried:
1) First version was with bananas instead of dates since I had some bananas handy.. it just came out great just added about 2 tspn of water to mash the bananas but i think it would be Ok w/o water as well
2) My second version was with pineapple, i bought canned (small one) pinapple chunks (usually they have some syrup in it) I used only chunks, just pulsed them to soften up the texture and it worked good.. the cake came out spongy and soft
3) Third time i tried yesterday finally with dates and Whole Wheat Flour.. ( I used Annapurna Whole wheat atta) had to add little bit water to dates since this atta particularly tends to soak up more water..ultimately it came out really nice. Infact me and my husband both loved the taste of whole wheat instead of all purpose flour.. it turned out perfectly spongy and soft.
Lastly after trying succesfully I would like to recomment that it is better to experiment with fillings and not to alter any of the baking ingredients.. (like butter or baking soda or condensed milk etc). Also I used a reasonably thick size baking pan and did’nt open the oven door until 30 mins.. I kept the oven light on so that I could have a look if it is getting burnt!
I think I am going to try this cake with few more ingredients like coconut, peaches etc.. Thanks for posting such a wonderful receipe..
Namrata
Wow Namrata! Thanks so much for taking the time to post your feedback. It’ll answer so many people’s questions.
thanks hetal
Hi anuja and hetal,
can u tell me what is the difference between baking powder and baking soda.please
Thanks
for the recipe:)
Hi Shreya,
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. It needs moisture plus an acidifying agent to make it active. It works well in recipes that call for some acidic ingredient (lemon juice, buttermilk, etc). Baking powder has baking soda in it, plus an acidifying agent (cream of tartar) and a drying agent (starch). It will get activated simply by moisture. It works well in recipes that don’t call for an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice.
I tried this cake,it’s yummy . I want to prepare little less sweet cake .How do i do that.
It is hard to adjust this recipe for sweetness. If you cut down on the condensed milk, the texture may not come out right.
How about if i reduce dates.
You could reduce the amount of dates, but then it won’t be a “Dates” and walnut cake :). I think the main culprit for the sweetness is the condensed milk.
I tried your cake for a party and it was an instant suceess. This cake is very easy to make and very yummy. I agree with your suggestion to lessen the amount of water while grinding the dates. Otherwise, the center of the cake will sink a little.
I tried with fat free condensed milk. It tured out really good. Same taste and all. Only the difference is 0% fat. :))
Hi, I saw that u used the magic bullet in this recipe. I was thinking of buying it for making chutnies & grinding spices since its difficult to do these in the regular blender. how has ur experience been so far with it? Would you recommend it?
Hi Lakshmi,
We are sure you can use fat free condensed milk. Let us know how it comes out:-)
I tried this one and turned out very tasty. My husband and kids loved it sooooooo much. Can I try this with fat free condensed milk?
Thanks a lot. I would love to send the cakes I make to my best friend.
Hi Disorichu,
We’ve never sent food items in the mail, but after doing some research, it seems that it is possible to do so. Wrap the cake tightly (once it has cooled completely) in plastic wrap. Place it in a sturdy plastic or tin container with a tight fitting lid. You may have to put packaging foam peanuts or crumpled newspaper around the cake so that it doesn’t move. Place the container in a larger box for shipping. You should put more crumpled newspaper or foam peanuts around the container so that it doesn’t move in the box. You should be able to send it via regular mail but if you don’t mind paying a little extra, you can send it by priority mail — it’ll reach sooner.
I want to send a cake to my friend. Do you think I can bake the cake and send it without the cake getting spoiled? I really want to send something. Please suggest if I can do so, or if you have any suggestion then please let me know.
Hi Koms,
Glad you liked the cake – it does have a fantastic flavor!
Regarding the center, soft is fine but it should not be raw or doughy. If you feel that was the case, increase the cooking time by another 5 minutes maximum.
Tip: Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, the cake it ready:)
Hey Hetal and Anuja..
Tried this last week. Was a superhit.. Everyone at home loved it… Thankyou so much….The cake was fluffy, however, the center of the cake was still soft. The taste was good so people thought it was meant to be that way.. : )
Should i increase the baking time to avoid the soft part the next time cause this time, i had baked it for 40 mins.
Thanks again..
Koms
HI Haruko,
You should definitely wait until the cake has cooled down before putting it in a ziploc bag or plastic container with a tight fitting lid. If the cake is still warm, moisture will form and make the cake soggy. You can store it in the fridge for about a week. You can even freeze it it you use a freezer ziploc bag.
Hello Anuja & Hetal! I wait till the morning to post a thanks note for this delicious recipe, but last night we couldn’t wait for the cake to cool down and ate it warm and moist! My husband and I loved it! mmmmmmmm
thanks so much!
I also would like to know what is the best way to storing a cake? maybe in a plastic bag? or in the fridge? and when? (I mean when the cake is still warm?)
hi can you make eggs chocolate cake….
hi girls i tried out this receipe and it came out great.thanx for the superb receipe.
Tempting recipe , so tried it out (half heartedly ,what eggless cake…mmm no way) and tada the cake came out perfect no glitches .Never thought it would be so easy without a cake mix.Oh I loved to make cake for the first time.
Thank you so much.Your site rocks.
I tried this recipe and it’s very awesome. Cake became too good. Thanks for such easy and the best recipe.
hi friends,
one more tips from my side,if u r keeping in glass bowl it takes 50min baking time if its tin it takes 40min.
Hi Hetal and Anuja
This is a wonderful recipe. I have made it a couple of times and it was always a big hit. My cake also dipped in the middle the first time. We tried some of the tips mentioned above and the sinking reduced quite a bit. But the taste was just awesome! You girls rock !!!
Anne
Hi Hetal and Anuja, i hv tried many of ur receipes it is good. This cake came out too good, my hubby and all my friends like it very much. Thanks for posting such a tasty recipe.
You have some great recipes on your website. Saw the date & walnut cake recipe. Since I don’t use dairy what can I substitute the condesed milk with?
Thanks,
Upasana
Annam wrote:
Hi Anuja,many ask the doubt why its sinking,when the oven door is open in-between r
according to the temperature some oven will need 50min to bake .when its opened before
baking the part that’s not cooked sinks inside.i have made the same mistake.so its only
the time to be increased for baking .
Hi Manisha,
Sorry your cake did not turn out well. We’re trying to figure out what could be the cause of the sinking. One reason could be the butter. Did you use unsalted butter or salted?
Sometimes you have to sift the flour, baking powder 4-5 times. This tip is out of my own experience.
Warm regards
HI- I tried this cake too. It was a major disappointment. I have tried your Peda reciple earlier which was such a hit and hence was confident about trying this one out. My cake looked nothing like whats in the picture and secondly it sank in the middle as someone else said .
This cake sinks.I do not know what to do and why it sinks in the middle .Tried several times with the same result.Hetal please helllllllllllpppppppppppppp…………………
Hi Reema,
In recent times, we have made this cake in a bundt cake pan and it seems to work better. You can also try the egg substitute (1 Tbsp flaxseed powder mixed with 3 Tbsp water) to give the cake some lift.
when tooo much water is added to dates while grinding ,and another reason for the cake sinking inside might be when the oven is opened before the cake is baked.as said in the recipe water is enough for soaking the dates to become softer.
soda bicarbonate = baking soda Niky 🙂
Yum this looks good, do you all have more date recipes. I have soooooo many dates I do not know what to do with them? Thanks in advance………..
Hi hetal n anuja
SHOW ME THE CURRY rocks… it’s only bcz of u guys.
I wanna know the difference between Baking soda and baking powder?
I use soda bicarbonate in khaman, dhokla and handwa recipe, but i dont know is that called baking powder or baking soda?
another question i wanna make this cake using pineapple so how many ounce can pineapple wil be needed?
thanks for the lovely lovely mouth watering dishes….. looking forward for d new recipes
thanks
Niky
I tried this recipe over the Christmas break. I wanted to gift my neighbors with some home baked goodies for Christmas.
The taste was out of this world. But unfortunately all the cakes I baked sank in the middle and looked pretty horrible (sorry to say). So I couldn’t gift them, but my family was happy, because the taste was just too good.
Don’t know what to do, to prevent the sagging in the middle. Because the taste was so divine, I’ll keep tweaking the recipe and trying it, until it’s right!
My cake sinks in the middle too.I have tried 3 times.The taste is gr8 but it sinks.
Hi Reena & Maya,
For all eagless cakes, its typical problem that it sinks in the middle as we are using baking soda instead of eggs. The solution is, you can use the flat baking tray for baking eggless cakes. The mixure should be evenly distributed in the tray and then bake it.
To prevent sink the cake just don’t add to much water to the dates and low the temperature of the oven to 340 for 5-8 minutes more of cooking time!….that’s works….Ãœ
I love your recipes…..Ãœ
Hi,
I am a new visitor to this site and jus njoyed it…
Can you pls submit some microwave recipes.. That wud be great….
I am waiting to try this 1st thing i reach home from work….
Keep it up.
Isha
India
rtrrrrrrrrtttt
Hi Sakina,
Baking soda and baking powder are different. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder has sodium bicarbonate plus other acid and base ingredients. They produce different results and are used under different circumstances.
Hi hetal,
The recipe is great.. Its a great way to include dates aand walnuts in the diet! Thanks!
Whats the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Can we just use one of them in larger quantity?
Please do let me know..
Hi Shilpa,
The condensed milk will provide enough sweetness. However, if you like desserts on the sweet side, you may want to add a tablespoon or two to counter the tartness of the pineapple.
Hi,
Looks very easy recipe.If we use pineapple instead of dates,do we need to add sugar.
Wow!. Cant wait to try it. Looks wonderful. Also, you mentioned about pineapple, do we have to crush it before adding or just add chunks.