A date cake recipe is good to have in your repertoire, as it’s easy to make and will stay fresh at room temperature. There are a few variations, such as adding rum or bourbon, that take it to the next level, and the satisfying crunch of chopped pecans on top can’t be beat.
Date Cake
A recipe for date cake should have a crunchy top (in this case, chopped pecans), a bit of sweetness (thanks to the chocolate chips) and that moist buttery texture we all love. This date cake is a winner for coming together with pantry staples like shortening, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Buy chopped dates and chopped pecans, and you’ll be ahead of the game—just toss them in the batter and bake.
Date cakes have their origins in England, and while there have been some variations over time—like sticky toffee—they hit their heyday in the 1970s and haven’t waned in popularity since.
Ingredients for Date Cake
- Chopped dates: Save yourself some time and buy Medjool dates that are already chopped, instead of chopping whole dates yourself.
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cake’s batter rise in height.
- Shortening: Another term for shortening is hydrogenated, all-vegetable fat, with Crisco the most well-known brand. This ages-old ingredient, which lacks water (unlike butter), is often used in pie crusts. In this recipe, shortening makes the cake taste lighter and airier than if butter were used.
- Sugar: Often called granulated sugar, this is the most commonly sold sugar at grocery stores. It’s either white or light brown (not as brown as brown sugar’s hue).
- Egg: This recipe calls for a large egg, but if you don’t have one at the ready, it’s fine to use a medium egg instead. Eggs act as a moistener and help the cake form its structure.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour, also called traditional flour and the most common kind of flour sold at grocery stores.
- Salt: Don’t use rock salt or any kind of flavored salt. Finely ground table salt helps accent other flavors in the recipe. It’s also easier to disperse in the cake batter than a chunky salt.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: There are three kinds of chocolate chips: bittersweet, semisweet and milk chocolate, with semisweet being the balance in the middle, folding in both sweetness and bitterness.
- Chopped pecans: Like dates, you can buy pecans pre-chopped, reducing your prep time for this recipe.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the date mixture
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 full of water, then heat the water to boiling. Mix the dates and 1 teaspoon of the baking soda in a large bowl. Once the water is boiling, stir in the combined dates and baking soda. Let cool completely.
Step 2: Make the cake batter
In another large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 cup of sugar. (You’ll save the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar for later.) Beat in the egg. Combine the flour, salt and the remaining baking soda, then add this dry mixture it to the creamed mixture, alternating with the date mixture.
Step 3: Bake the cake
Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top, followed by the chocolate chips and nuts. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack before serving.
Date Cake Variations
- Spike it with alcohol: By adding 3 tablespoons of rum or bourbon to the shortening and sugar, then creaming all three ingredients together at once, you’ll add nutty and vanilla flavor.
- Add a glaze: Instead of chopped pecans, add a lemon or vanilla glaze using a recipe like our quick vanilla glaze. The only snag is that a glazed cake doesn’t freeze as well. It’s best to only glaze the cake if you plan to eat it all within a week.
How to Store Date Cake
Once this cake is made, we don’t think you’ll have much left over, as it’s a definite crowd-pleaser. But in case you do, it’s easy to store the cake for enjoying later. As long as it’s stored at room temperature in an airtight container, it will stay fresh.
Can you freeze date cake?
As long as the date cake is in an airtight container, in plastic wrap or in a reusable freezer bag, you can freeze the cake—whether it’s whole or already sliced—for up to four months.
How long does date cake last?
If it’s kept at room temperature and in an airtight container, your date cake should stay fresh for up to seven days.
Can you make this date cake recipe ahead of time?
To save time on the day you plan to bake this cake, you could mix the date mixture and the creamed mixture and store them in the fridge, covered. If you do go this route, it’s best to then bake the cake within 24 hours.
Date Cake Tips
Can I skip the pecans?
While this type of nut adds a sweet crunch, we get that it’s not everyone’s favorite nut. You could also use walnuts, or skip the nuts altogether and opt for a vanilla glaze using the recipe above.
How do I make this into a sticky toffee cake?
Too much altering of a recipe changes its inherent flavor. But we do have an excellent recipe for sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce.
What if I don’t like chocolate?
While chocolate chips are in this recipe, leaving them out won’t change it drastically.
Moist Chocolate Chip Date Cake
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Yield
20 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
- 1-1/2 cups boiling water
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Place dates and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water; cool completely.
- In another large bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, salt and remaining baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with date mixture.
- Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar; top with chocolate chips and nuts.
- Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts
1 piece: 299 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 159mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate (30g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein.
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"I remember begging my mother to make this moist cake back in the '50s," says Kathy Frees from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. "Instead of sticky frosting, it's covered with sugar and nuts and is a wonderful treat to take along on picnics."
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