This Date Cake recipe is a delicious, rich cake full of dates with an easy toffee sauce drizzled over the cooked cake so it soaks in, making it super moist and taste amazing.
Also known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand, or toffee pudding in the UK this date cake is great for a dinner party dessert or with a coffee for afternoon tea.
With the texture of a sponge cake, when you poke holes in the finished still-warm cake and pour over the caramel butterscotch sauce it oozes down into that spongey date-flavoured cake to give you the ultimate cake experience. Can you tell it's my favourite dessert?
Serve a slice of this rich and sticky date cake with plenty of extra sauce poured on top plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a decadent sweet treat!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- ridiculously moist, reheats like a dream
- an easy recipe but has heaps of rich date flavour
What you need to make this date cake
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
- dates - I used Medjool dates
- plain flour - all-purpose flour
- salted butter - substitute with unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt
- light brown sugar
- dark brown sugar
- eggs
- baking powder
- bicarbonate of soda (bicarb soda/baking soda)
- vanilla extract
- thickened cream - heavy cream
- walnuts - optional
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make this date cake
- Place the chopped dates in a bowl, sprinkle over bicarb soda, then add boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes then mash.
- With an electric mixer, combine butter and light brown sugar.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla.
- Then flour and baking powder.
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- Add date mixture to the bowl, mixing well to combine.
- Pour cake batter into a greased and lined pan and place in the oven to bake.
Top tips for the best result
- Mash the dates really well, this will mean the dates are more evenly distributed throughout the cake.
Storage
Because this sticky date cake is so moist it reheats really well.
Leftovers (cake and sauce) can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
More date recipes you may enjoy
Easy Date Slice - all the flavour of sticky date pudding in an easy bake slice (bars).
Date Scones - moist and fluffy date scones.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Mini Banoffee Cups - individual servings of Banoffee pie. A biscuit base with thick rich caramel sauce, banana and cream.
White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins - a sweet bakery treat full of chocolate chips and made using fresh or frozen raspberries.
📖 Recipe
Date Cake
Ingredients
- 300 g dates (I used Medjool) pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda bicarb/bicarb soda
- 250 ml boiling water
- 80 g salted butter softened
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 190 g plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts (optional - to serve)
Sauce
- 50 g salted butter
- 70 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 ml thickened cream heavy cream
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160c.
- Grease and line a 20cm (8") square cake pan with parchment/baking paper (leaving some overhang for removal) and set aside.
- Place the chopped dates in a bowl, sprinkle over bicarb soda then add boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes to soften.300 g dates1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda250 ml boiling water
- Once softened, mash the dates well with a potato masher or fork (you want it to be like a puree or paste with hardly any lumps) and set aside.
- Place salted butter and light brown sugar in a bowl and using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat until smooth and combined.80 g salted butter40 g light brown sugar
- Beat in eggs and vanilla.2 eggs½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Then add plain flour and baking powder, mixing until combined.190 g plain flour1½ teaspoons baking powder
- Add date mixture to the bowl, mixing until well incorporated.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan, smooth out the top and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Sauce
- Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.50 g salted butter70 g dark brown sugar100 g light brown sugar½ teaspoon vanilla extract300 ml thickened cream
- Once butter is melted, stir to incorporate then simmer for 2 minutes.
To assemble
- While the cake is still hot (leave it in the pan), use a toothpick or a skewer to poke 30 to 40 holes all over the surface of the cake.
- Slowly pour ⅓ cup of the sauce over the top of the cake and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow it to soak into the holes (see my notes).
- Sprinkle over chopped walnuts (if using), slice and serve warm with more sauce on top.1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Notes
- Mash the dates really well so the colour will be more evenly distributed throughout the cake.
- If the sauce pools at the sides of the cake pan use a pastry brush or a small spatula to spread it back towards the middle.
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