Date Cake with No Added Sugar

Date cake with no added sugar gets all of its sweetness from the dates themselves, with no sugar, honey, silan, or raisins anywhere in the batter.

Making the date paste

Soak pitted dates in hot water until they soften, then blend them with the soaking liquid itself into a smooth, thick paste. This date paste replaces the sugar in the recipe: it adds moisture, natural sweetness, and a dark color to the batter, with no need for any other sweetener. Mix the paste with eggs and oil, then fold in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, until the batter is smooth with no lumps.

The dates need to be blended until the paste is truly smooth, since date chunks left in the batter scorch at the edges and leave a bitter taste. If the batter is too thick, add another spoonful of the soaking liquid, not plain water, so the sweetness isn't diluted.

Baking and how long it keeps

Pour the batter into a greased pan and bake in a medium oven until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan before removing it, so the soft cake doesn't break at the edges.

The cake keeps well in a closed container even at room temperature, and fits well into a lunchbox for a Chol HaMoed outing without drying out. For another Chol HaMoed fruit cake, we also have our Grape Cake.

The recipe

Date Cake with No Added Sugar

A moist date cake sweetened entirely by a concentrated date paste, with no other sweetener.

• Servings 10 servings
• Prep 25 min
• Cook 40 min
• Total 1 hr 5 min

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 10.5 oz / 300 g pitted dates
• 1 cup / 250 ml hot water, for soaking
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup / 100 ml canola oil
• 2 cups / 250 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Soak the pitted dates in hot water for about 15 minutes, until softened.

2. Blend the dates with the soaking liquid into a smooth, thick paste.

3. Add the eggs and oil to the paste and mix well.

4. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, until the batter is smooth with no lumps.

5. Pour into a greased 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan.

6. Bake in a preheated 340°F (170°C) oven for about 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

7. Let cool in the pan before removing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use raisins instead of dates?
No, raisins don't blend into a smooth paste the same way and don't give the same moisture.

Is the cake sweet enough with no added sweetener?
Yes, the concentrated date paste gives full sweetness. The cake is moderately sweet, less than a cake made with sugar, and its sweetness is the sweetness of dates.