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This date cake bakes up incredibly tender, with sweet chopped dates simmered in orange juice for a bright, citrusy flavor. Brown sugar, butter, and vanilla create a rich, comforting crumb, and the orange zest adds just enough freshness. It’s ready in under an hour and especially good served warm with a pour of butterscotch sauce.
This cake works beautifully for dessert or a sweet addition to brunch, and it packs well for a lunch box treat. Serve it with a spoonful of whipped cream if you want an extra touch of richness.
Here’s Why This Citrus Date Cake Recipe Works
Simmered dates = max moisture: Cooking the dates in orange juice softens them quickly and infuses bright citrus flavor.
Baking soda at work: A pinch of baking soda raises the pH of the date mixture, helping the fruit soften and break down into a sticky, pudding-like base. No blender needed.
Flavor-forward batter: Brown sugar, orange zest, and vanilla balance the sweetness with warmth and freshness.
Toffee sauce finish: Pour it on while the cake is still warm for a glossy, melt-in bite.
If you like this recipe, our stout gingerbread cake is another dessert that would taste fantastic with a bit of sticky toffee sauce ;).
Soaking the dates will get them soft. The process is even faster if you add baking soda and heat the mixture. After it sits for a while, the dates break down and turn into a gooey, mushy puree. It doesn’t look pretty but it adds so much flavor and moisture to the cake.
Add the eggs one at a time and let them emulsify into the batter. Room temperature eggs will incorporate better than cold eggs and give the cake a better texture.
Our microplane is one of my favorite tools. It does a fantastic job at making super fine bits of orange zest that get distributed all over the batter.
Add half of the flour and stir it in before you add the rest. Using this technique to add the flour will help keep the cake tender and reduce gluten formation.
Recipe Tips
Pick a roomy saucepan: The mixture will foam significantly when the baking soda is added, so use a 2-quart pot to prevent it from bubbling over.
Cool it down: Let the date mixture come to room temperature before adding it to the batter so it doesn’t melt the butter or cook the eggs.
Tame the stickiness: Dates cling to the knife as you chop them; a light coating of oil on the blade helps them release more easily.
Don’t overmix: Gently fold in the flour until just combined to keep the crumb tender and even.
Sauce it up: Warm toffee sauce is the finishing touch that brings all the flavors together.
Check the dates: If your dates feel extra dry or firm, give them an additional few minutes of simmering or soaking so they fully break down.
Mind the zest: Avoid the white pith when zesting—the microplane should catch only the thin, fragrant outer layer for the best flavor.
Pan prep matters: Lining the baking pan with parchment ensures the tender cake releases cleanly without tearing.
Bake by texture: Start checking for doneness at 35 minutes; the cake should spring back lightly and a toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Serve warm or cold: The cake sets beautifully as it cools—but if you prefer a softer texture, gently warm each slice before adding the toffee sauce.
For another easy dessert, our Instant Pot hot fudge cake makes its own fudge sauce while it cooks. This is a cake you need to eat with a spoon and plenty of ice cream.
For another twist on this recipe, try my apple date cake.
Date and Orange Cake
This date cake brings together rich sweetness, soft texture, and a hint of citrus in a way that just works. Add the warm toffee sauce and it becomes one of those desserts people remember. Serve it warm or enjoy it the next day, either way, it’s the kind of treat everyone gravitates toward.
If you enjoy this recipe, you will like my fresh fig cake with a completely different seasonal twist.
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Date Cake
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces dates, pitted and chopped (about 2 cups packed)
- 1½ cups orange juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter, 170 grams
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch round pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
- Place the chopped dates, orange juice, and baking soda in a saucepan. The mixture will bubble and foam as the baking soda reacts and the dates begin to break down, this is expected. Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the mixture soak for 20 minutes, allowing it to cool to room temperature.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and creamy.
- Beat the eggs in, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, orange zest and the dates along with all the soaking liquid. Beat well until incorporated.
- Fold in half of the flour mixture until only a few streaks of flour show. Fold in the rest of the flour until well combined.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 35 to 43 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with sticky toffee sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This cake turned out beautifully, but would of liked it a little more mist. Got rave reviews!
I have run out of butter can l substitue it with sun flour oil or sour cream, if so how much?
The toffee sauce was divine 🙌
UK fan👏👌
Technically, you can substitute the butter with oil but it will turn out differently. I haven’t tried swapping the butter for oil in this recipe so I can’t say how it will turn out but it will be more moist with the oil. Generally, I use slightly less oil in a recipe than butter but some recipes do fine with a 1:1 swap. I wouldn’t swap all the butter with sour cream however, as that will drastically change the ratio of fat and milk proteins and make a more coarse cake.
Just made this cake, it’s so moreish, soft and smelling of orange. Definitely a recipe to keep in the favourite folder! Thanks for sharing ?
I’m so happy you like it. Thanks for the comment.
I made this receipt. The peripheries of the cake turned out great with the right texture, but the center part was much softer, not that it was under-baked but It seemed most of the date localized in the center. What do you think might have gone wrong? Perhaps I used too much date?!
It sounds like it needed to bake a little longer.
I am a fan of sticky date cakes/puddings, and the toffee sauce makes it even more tempting. This is totally right up my alley.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Thanks Angie, that toffee sauce is so decadent 😉