Servings
Font
Back
Date Cake
4.6 from 240 votes

Date Cake

Date Cake mixes chopped pitted dates soaked in hot water with baking soda into a batter enriched with vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combined with flour, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, and nuts, the batter bakes into a moist, tender cake with sweet, rich notes from dates and chocolate. Optional coarse sparkling sugar adds a crunchy topping. This makes a sweet treat or dessert with a soft crumb and nutty texture.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 24
Course: Cake

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dates chopped, pitted
  • 1 ½ cups water boiling
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ cup vegetable shortening I use butter-flavored Crisco
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg lightly beaten, large
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups chocolate chips semi-sweet
  • ⅓ cup walnuts chopped, or pecans
  • ¼ cup Sparkling Sugar optional, coarse

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Place dates into a medium, heat-resistant bowl and pour boiling water over the dates. Stir in baking soda. The mixture may foam up a bit, this is completely normal. Set bowl aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Once dates have cooled, use an electric mixer to cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the dates and liquid.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread the batter evenly. If desired, sprinkle the top of the batter with coarse sugar.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

Notes

  • Store leftover cake covered tightly at room temperature for up to three days to preserve moisture.
  • Unsalted butter can replace shortening if preferred without altering the recipe significantly.
  • Chocolate chips are optional; omitting them yields a more straightforward date cake.
  • If pre-chopped pitted dates are unavailable, chop whole pitted dates to obtain 8 ounces needed for the recipe.
  • Accurately measure flour for best results to ensure proper texture.