This vegan date and walnut cake recipe is similar to coffee walnut cake but denser and packed with nuts and fruit. It's a spin on traditional British date and walnut loaf.
This rich and nutty loaf cake has a moist texture that pairs wonderfully with your favorite hot beverage.
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Quick And Easy - With minimal equipment, you don't need a blender, or stand mixer.
- Simple Ingredients - Easy to find ingredients, a lot of which you may already have in your pantry.
- Fluffy & Moist Texture - This is one of those cakes that tastes even better after sitting on your counter for a day or two. This gives the flavors a chance to marry and brings out the molasses in the brown sugar.
I'm always looking for ways to include more desserts with dates here on the blog as they are such a delicious addition to both baked and no-bake desserts. Try my date muffins, date caramel, date brownies, vegan snickers, and stuffed dates next.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to make this date walnut cake from scratch:
Ingredient Notes
- Dark Brown Sugar - I use dark muscovado which is unrefined cane sugar with a high molasses content. If you want to use an alternative like coconut sugar you can, but the cake won't be quite as moist.
- Olive Oil - A lot of date walnut loaf cakes are made with butter, this recipe uses olive oil instead which helps it stay moist for 5 days or more! You can swap olive oil for a more neutral oil like sunflower or rapeseed if you prefer.
- Dairy-Free Greek-Style Yogurt - I initially tested this recipe without yogurt but after 3 or 4 tries I realized that an egg replacer was necessary to help prevent the cake from crumbling. You can use vegan sour cream, or in a pinch unsweetened apple sauce will probably work.
- Hot Coffee - Be sure to brew the coffee at the last minute as the heat helps to soften the dates.
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🥣 How To Make Date And Walnut Cake
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
As mentioned, this vegan date cake is incredibly straightforward to make. From start to finish, you only need about an hour and a quarter to make it, which includes baking time! Here's a visual of how it's done:
Step 1: Add the chopped dates, baking soda, hot coffee, and olive oil to a large mixing bowl and set aside to soak for 15 minutes.
Step 2: To the date mixture, whisk in the brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
Step 3: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula until there are no pockets or streaks of flour.
Step 4: Scoop the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top of it with a spatula or knife.
Step 5: Stud the top of the loaf with some more whole walnuts. Bake for 45-55 minutes, the loaf will turn golden brown on top.
🌰 Variations
Here are some ways you can add some of your own flair to this easy date cake:
- Skip the coffee - If you don't normally use coffee, you can swap it out for plain boiling water or add hot tea for a twist of flavor.
- Add spice - A teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ginger would make a lovely spiced version of this cake.
- Swap the nuts - If you aren't a fan of walnuts, you can use pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts instead. I recommend using blanched hazelnuts and almonds without the skins.
- Skip the dates - If you don't like dates, you can use prunes or raisins instead.
- Add Frosting - I feel like this dates and walnut cake is sweet enough, but you can always add another layer of sweetness and tang with cream cheese frosting.
📝 Recipe Tips
There's no need to splash out on expensive medjool dates. Although they are delicious they can sometimes be pricey. Your run-of-the-mill dried dates work perfectly for this recipe since they are presoaked before baking.
Line the pan with a parchment sling. The best way to line loaf cakes is to lightly grease your pan but also cut a sheet of parchment and leave an overhang on both sides of the loaf tin. This makes it so much easier to lift the loaf out once baked.
Place the pan on top of an aluminum tray or baking sheet. This helps the walnut loaf to bake evenly from underneath.
Slice with a serrated knife. The walnuts in the cake are much easier to slice through with a toothed blade. I recommend waiting for your loaf to cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
💬 FAQs
This cake stays fresh for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also extend the shelf life by freezing it for up to a month. Make sure you tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap or place it in a sealed container before placing it in the freezer.
I don't think so! Hot coffee is added to enhance the flavors of the dates, brown sugar, and walnuts. It doesn't shine through very much in flavor but just adds a slight taste note of coffee.
🍞 More Loaf Cakes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment as well, thanks!
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📖 Recipe
Date And Walnut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 ⅓ cups) pitted dates roughly chopped, *see note 1
- 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) hot coffee *see note 2
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 4 teaspoons) olive oil or neutral oil such as sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 130 g (⅔ cup) dark muscovado sugar *see note 3
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt or vegan sour cream or skyr
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250 g (2 cups + 2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 90 g (¾ cup) walnuts roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the dates: To a large mixing bowl, add the chopped dates, baking soda, hot coffee, and olive oil. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Mix wet ingredients: To the bowl with the dates, add the brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped walnuts.
- Make the batter: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula until there are no pockets or streaks of flour. Do not be tempted to overmix!
- Assemble: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top of it with a spatula or knife. Stud the top of the loaf with some whole walnuts if desired. Place the pan on an aluminum tray or baking sheet (this helps bake the cake evenly from underneath).
- Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes. The loaf will rise and the top will be golden brown. Check the cake is done at the 45-minute mark by piercing it with a toothpick or a knife, the knife should come out clean with a small few crumbs on it. Continue to bake in 5-minute increments as and if needed until baked through. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Storage: When your cake has cooled, wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or foil, or place it in an airtight container. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days (provided your environment is not too warm) or in the fridge for up to 7 days.To freeze, cut the bread into individual slices and separate them with sheets of parchment. Make sure they are wrapped well or place them in a sealed container and freeze for up to a month. To defrost, let it thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Notes
- Pitted Dates - There's no need to splash out on medjool dates. Regular dried dates work perfectly for this recipe since they are presoaked before baking. Make sure there are no remaining pits.
- Coffee - Sub with hot water or tea.
- Dark Muscovado Sugar - Swap for soft brown sugar or coconut sugar (the result won't be quite as moist).
- Slice with a serrated knife. The walnuts in the cake are much easier to slice through with a toothed blade. I recommend waiting for your loaf to cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
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Hi
I made this a nd loved it, Tastes good, looks good.
Is it possible to add more dates for sweetness instead of using any sugar?
Thanks
Hi AiChoo,
So happy you loved the recipe! Baking with dates only can be tricky, as the texture will be compromised without sugar. I have seen that some readers have reduced the sugar with great results though, but I would not recommend adding less than half the amount in the recipe.
I made this yesterday and I have to say, this is the best date cake I've ever made!
I did not have yogurt at home, did not want to add a substitute, so skipped it all together. I only have an expresso machine at home, so, used expresso instead of regular coffee. I used brown sugar and only 1/2 cup as I like it less sweet. Finally, instead of using 2 cups + 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour I used 1 cup + 2 teaspoons of Almond flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour. It was perfect and so yummy!
Hi Darshi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and review!
Hi, Can I use peanut butter instead of yoghurt? If yes, would i skip the yoghurt and use same amount?
Hi Maya,
I'm afraid it can't be subbed for peanut butter, sorry!
I made this cake with pecans instead of walnuts and i used applesauce instead of yogurt.
I planned to add cinnamon but forgot to add:)
The recipe is super yum.
By the way my cake took 30mins to bake:)
Thanks for sharing💕
Hi Sofia,
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! The pecans sound like a lovely addition 🙂
hi ,
mine burnt all i don't know why..
then I cut from all sides and inside part was ok n I ate that..but don't know why it get burnt may b oven was too hot?
Hi Rabia,
It sounds like your oven runs hot. What setting are you using? It might be worth getting an oven thermometer so that you can always get an accurate reading from inside the oven for baking.
Hello...
Am about to follow your recipe n bake the date walnut cake.Would like to know the quantity of applesauce I can use instead of yogurt..is it the same?1/3 cup asentionrd in the recipe?
Hi Renu,
Absolutely, the same amount as listed for the yogurt. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks Christina for your prompt reply
This was super delicious! Thank you. My cake did end up pouring over the edges of the cake tin when it baked, but I snapped off the pieces before they burned and they were crisp and delicious! I guess I’ll use a bigger tin next time - but will definitely make this again 🙂
Hi Sophie,
Thanks so much for your feedback! The snapped pieces sound like a delicious extra hehe.
Hi Christina this is so lovely recipe. Can be used gluten free flour. Violeta
Hi Violeta, so happy you loved it! I haven't personally used GF flour but some readers have reported good results with it. Just make sure you use a GF cup for cup blend that includes xanthan gum if you do give it a try 🙂
No se puede traducir al Español gracias 🙏 Lástima
Puedes copiar la receta a un traductor (como el Google) y ya la tienes en español.
Hi Cristina if I have to make 1kg cake what quantities should I take? Please advise
Hi Vini,
I'm so sorry I can't help with this one. I always create recipes based on pan sizes and servings, not based on weight.
This recipe is fantastic, I’ve already made it several times! A few changes I made: I used half the brown sugar, and used warmed soy milk instead of coffee or tea (using coffee sounds insanely delicious but I’m sensitive to caffeine). And I added cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Also, every time I’ve made this I always felt the dough was too dry (not sure what I’m going wrong) so this time I ended up using a little extra soy milk and yogurt and it turned out perfect.
Hi Lydia,
Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, the added spices are a great idea! The sugar gives the cake moisture, so this will be the reason why you found it on the drier side when using half the amount.
Hi Christina i am a bit confused because in the ingredients list both the baking powder and baking soda are mentioned but when you are assembling the ingredients only baking soda is mentioned .As pet my knowledge in this cake the amount of soda and powder will too much will please clear it .
Hi Hema,
Thanks so much for checking in! The baking soda is added to the dates in step 1, and the baking powder is added in step 4 with the other dry ingredients. In general vegan cakes use a little more baking powder than regular baking, since we're not using eggs and relying on other ways to rise the cake. I hope this helps, and you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I tried this recipe yesterday and it was a hit with my family. Very moist and delicious. Loved it.
Thanks for sharing.
So happy you loved it, thank you so much for commenting 🙂
I followed your instructions to the letter (just substituted regular vegan yoghurt instead of greek style). Also added a bit of ginger. I baked me a beautiful cake. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Hugh,
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Delicious. Made exactly per the recipe (used soured cream) and it came out just like it should. I might try pecans next time. Walnuts sometimes have a weird oily taste to me, although mainly when eaten raw. I think pecans would make a nice alternative.
Hi Sandra,
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback! I would love to hear how it goes with pecans too 🙂
This is fabulous, I used tea and I went with less dates, sugar and walnuts than advised (personal preference) and it was fantastic. I also don’t really buy yoghurt so I used a warmed chopped apple, mashed it and it worked wonderfully. Thank you so much.
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, I'm sure this will be super helpful for other readers looking to do the same. Much appreciated and delighted you enjoyed the recipe!
Such a gorgeous cake.
My Dad's favourite and even though I've been Vegan 8 1/2 years and changed my small business to fully Vegan 5 years ago, asked if it was Vegan 🙄
It's just perfect and so tasty x
Hi Michaela!
Aw I'm delighted to hear you loved the recipe, and that's incredible that you have a fully vegan business too! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
We love it!!! 😍😍 Instead of coffee we use black tea and it came perfect. Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Olá, faço esta receita com muita frequência.
Adoramos 😋
Thanks so much for your feedback Celia, delighted your loving the recipe!
Absolutely delicious, will definitely make again!
Hi Lydia,
I'm delighted to hear that! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
This was delicious:)
Hi Nevena,
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and for trying the recipe 🙂
No idea why my loaf sank while it was baking the oven! It rose a bit towards the 45 min mark and then sank in the centre even before i switched off the oven. The toothpick came out clean after 45min
Hi Shruti,
Is it possible that the oven was opened at some stage in the first 20-30 minutes of baking? Also, did you use a kitchen scale or cups to measure?
Dear Christina,
I used kitchen scale. After i placed cake in the oven, within the next 2 min, i opened the oven door to press my walnuts in. Didn't know the recipe could be that sensitive; its my first time baking without eggs🙂. Though my family is very happy with the crumbled cake😂. I will definitely try the recipe again
Hi Shruti,
Thanks so much for checking back in. That makes sense re: opening the oven, as this drops the temperature quite a bit and can cause the cake to collapse. In general, it is recommended not to open the oven for the first 20 minutes (unless otherwise stated in the recipe), especially with vegan baking. I hope this helps for the next time and I'm happy that your family are still enjoying it!
Also, forgot to mention that i used regular greek yoghurt not the vegan version
Dear Christina,
Thank you so much all the dilligent replies🙂. Truly appreciate it❤️
Hi Christina,
The recipe mentions 150ml hot coffee. How much instant coffee should i mix in 150 ml hot water for this? I am not a regular coffee drinker😊
Hi Shruti,
I would go for a tablespoon, or a little less if preferred 🙂
Thank you so much Christina 😊.
This is excellent. I made it partly because we both love walnuts and dates. But the other reason is because it looks like it's supposed to look: tall, but not gummy; and moist. Well it's all those good things and delicious to boot. I made mine with chai and coffee. I'll be making this regularly -- and for company! Thank you.
Hi Diane,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
I followed your recipe exactly. It turned out moist. However, it was very crumbly. Loved the flavor. Any suggestions?
Hi Emese,
Thanks so much for your feedback. Was the cake by any chance still a little warm when you sliced it?
This looks so yummy, Christina. I will try it out in the weekend. How important is the coffee for the taste? I don’t do coffee so I need to sub it. Is it as good with tea/water? Any recommendations? Thanks 🫶🏼
Hi Anna,
I would recommend tea if you can´t have coffee. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Do you have a special kind of tea in mind, maybe? Or do you think it doesn’t matter? ☺️ Thanks a lot, Anna
Hi Anna,
I would go with a black tea, but red tea or chai would probably also be delicious!
I used chai tea, I thought it goes well with the mascobado sugar. And what can I say, it was delicious. Thanks for the nice recipe. 🤗
Hi Anna,
That sounds wonderful! So happy you enjoyed the recipe
Love date and nuts. 😊
Yum! Lovely cake - super tasty yet so simple to make! In my opinion the coffee really adds to the flavour, so I wouldn't skip this at all. I'll definitely be making this again!
Hi, can I sub the sugar with honey or maple syrup? Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe 🙂
Hi Inês,
No a liquid sweetener can't be used, you can however use coconut sugar instead
One of the best vegan cakes I remember! Thank you so much, Christina, for this amazing recipe. I've tested it with a GF version, replacing all-purpose flour with a mix of rice flour (50%), tapioca starch (25%), potato starch (25%), guar gum (~4g), and psyllium (2g).
Hi Inês,
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for sharing your experience x
Can we use normal yoghurt inplace ofvegan yoghurt... thanks?
So good! Next time I 'm adding a little cinnamon.
By the way, is there a reason why you don't use self-raising flour? The baking powder sometimes lives a bitter after taste...
Hi Christine,
Really lovely recipe…have made it a few times now and it’s a big hit in our house!
Thanks,
Fiona
Hi Fiona,
Brilliant! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback 🙂
Amazing recipe thks so much
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Christina,
Is there any alternative for vegan yogurt ?
Thanks
Trishna !
Hi Trishna,
You could use unsweetened applesauce
I made this cake yesterday and it's amazing with a cup of tea ! I love the strong comforting flavours.
I used gluten-free flours (170 white rice flour, 30 g buckwheat flour and 50g potato starch) and it turned out great ! Will make it again for sure !
Hi Aurélie,
Oh yes, it is heavenly with a cuppa! Thank you so much for taking the time to make the recipe and for your sharing your experience 🙂
Hello Christina, I just made it with gluten free flours and turned out absolutely AMAZING!!! Definately on the list to make at Chrismtas! Thank you very much for the recipe!! 🙂
Hi Renáta,
That is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, as I'm sure it will help other readers who are wondering the same about the flour. Was it an all purpose GF flour that you used? Also, thrilled it made it onto your Christmas bake list!
Hello Christina,
That is exactly why I commented, because I'm usually the one of these people. I'm happy to let the others know it's working either way.
I couldn't wait to try the recipe, so I used whatever I had at home, which was 100 g of Schar Mix Bread and 150 g of oat flour and it's a really good combination. But I think next time I'll try an all purpose GF flour for baking, just to experiment. 🙂
I Just made it and it's the most amazing bread/cake /loaf EVER
Hi Roxan,
Yay! You've made my day, thank you for your wonderful feedback 🙂