Date and Walnut Cake

Name: Date and Walnut Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup (150 g) Pitted dried dates, chopped, chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; ¼ cup (60 ml) Hot water; ½ cup (115 g) Unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature, cut into cubes; ⅓ cup (80 ml) Honey; 2 Large eggs, at room temperature; 1¾ cups (220 g) All-purpose flour; ¾ cup (90 g) Walnuts, roughly chopped, roughly chopped; 1 tsp (2½ g) Ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) Ground cardamom; 1½ tsp (7 g) Baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) Fine sea salt; 1 tbsp (3 g) Orange zest, finely zested from 1 small orange (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, fragrant Middle Eastern cake featuring soft dates and crunchy walnuts, warmed with cinnamon and cardamom. Enriched with honey for natural sweetness and tender crumb, this simple but elegant cake needs no frosting—serve it warm or at room temperature with strong coffee or tea.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: One 9-inch (23 cm) round cake, 8 slices

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Boil ¼ cup (60 ml) water for softening dates.
Butter and line a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
Have eggs and butter at room temperature for better emulsification.

1
Soften the dates
- Pour the hot water over the chopped dates in a small bowl.
- Let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
- The dates will absorb water and become plump and tender.
- Do not drain the liquid—it will incorporate into the batter and add precious moisture.
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Ready when: Dates are tender, dark, and plump
Tip: Don't drain the water; it adds moisture and prevents the cake from drying out.
2
Cream butter and honey
- In a large bowl, whisk together softened butter and honey for 3 minutes until pale, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume.
- This incorporates air and creates a tender, light crumb.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale tan, fluffy, and increased in volume
Tip: Spend the full 3 minutes creaming; undercreaming results in a dense cake.
3
Add eggs one at a time
- Add the eggs to the butter-honey mixture one at a time, whisking well for about 30 seconds after each addition.
- The mixture may look slightly curdled after the first egg—this is normal.
- Keep whisking until fully incorporated and smooth.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, thick, and uniformly pale
Tip: Add eggs slowly to help them emulsify with the butter; rushing causes curdling.
4
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain and the spices are evenly distributed.
- If using orange zest, stir it in now.
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Ready when: No lumps visible, spices are evenly distributed
5
Fold in flour, dates, and walnuts
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter-egg mixture in two additions, stirring gently with a spatula until almost combined (small streaks of flour should still be visible).
- Add the softened dates with any liquid and the chopped walnuts.
- Fold gently until just combined—do not overmix, or the cake will be tough.
- The batter should be thick and studded with dates and walnuts throughout.
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Ready when: All ingredients just incorporated, no dry flour streaks visible
Tip: Stop folding as soon as flour disappears; overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake dense and tough.
6
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9-inch (23 cm) pan and spread level.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 38–42 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the cake springs back when lightly pressed on the center, and a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
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Ready when: Top is golden brown, springs back when pressed, tester has moist crumbs
Tip: Ovens vary; start checking at 35 minutes to avoid overbaking, which dries the cake.
7
Cool before turning out
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes.
- This allows the crumb to set so it won't crumble when turned out.
- Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen it, then invert onto a wire rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Cake is firm enough to release from pan without breaking
Tip: If serving warm (traditional), you can skip the cooling rack and slice directly from the pan.

Good to know

Tips

Room-temperature eggs and butter emulsify better, creating a lighter, airier crumb—don't skip this step.
Dates add natural moisture; do not overbake or the cake may dry during cooling. Start checking at 35 minutes.
This cake is wonderful served warm, cut into thick slices, with a cup of strong coffee or cardamom tea on the side.
If your dates are very dry or hardened, use boiling water and let them soak 15 minutes instead of 10.

Make ahead

The baked cake keeps well for 3 days, tightly wrapped at room temperature. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months (wrap tightly, thaw at room temperature for 2–3 hours).

Storage & reheating

**Room temperature:** 3 days, covered with plastic wrap or a cake dome. **Refrigerator:** 5 days, covered (though flavor and texture are best at room temperature). **Freezer:** 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw at room temperature for 2–3 hours before serving. Reheat a slice in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes if you prefer it warm.

Substitutions

Ground cardamom → Omit cardamom and use 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon total. The cake will be slightly less aromatic but still delicious; cinnamon is the dominant spice in this case.
Walnuts, roughly chopped → Chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios (same amount). Each nut brings a different character; pistachios add a beautiful green fleck and subtle flavor.
Honey → Dark brown sugar (same amount by volume, about 155 g packed). The cake will be slightly less moist and rich, but still tender. Use packed brown sugar for best results.
Pitted dried dates, chopped → Chopped dried figs, apricots, or a mix (same amount). Figs add a earthier note, apricots are brighter; the flavor profile will shift but remain delicious.