Julie Clark
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Date and Walnut Cake
An easy date and walnut cake with a broiled topping. This old fashioned cake recipe is delicious with a dollop of whipped cream.
Broiled topping cakes don’t often get the credit they deserve. You’ll rarely find them going viral on Pinterest, but you’ll always find a few recipes tucked away in an old church cookbook.
That’s where I found this orange raisin cake, amish cake and oatmeal cake. They all have broiled toppings that melt into the cake, making it moist and tender.
This date and walnut cake is no different. Don’t skip the topping. It’s an extra step, but it totally makes the cake!
Walnut Date Cake
Walnuts + Dates = Delicious cake! This cake also has raisins in it which make it extra special. It’s tender, full of flavor. We don’t add any extra spices, but if you want it to have a Christmas flair, add cinnamon and nutmeg.
I love that this cake makes a small snack size cake. You won’t have tons of leftovers to tempt you!
Should you plump raisins before baking?
Is it 100% necessary to plump raisins before baking? Maybe not. But most baked goods with raisins will taste better if you plump the raisins in hot water first.
Raisins will absorb water in baking, so it’s better if you soak them first rather than have them absorbing liquid from your cake.
Boiling the raisins lightly for 5 minutes works best. You can also boil water, pour the water over the raisins and allow the raisins to sit for 10-15 minutes. Either way works!
How to Make Date Cake at Home
This cake only takes a few minutes to whip up. Remember to allow the raisins and dates to soak in the water first.
We bake this cake in a 9×9 cake pan. You can bake it in an 8×8 pan or in a round cake pan, but you’ll have to watch the baking time.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
- In a saucepan, combine water and raisins. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped dates and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter and ¾ cup white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Beat in the flour, salt and date mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and set oven to low broil.
Broiled Topping
When you make a cake with a broiled topping, you’ll bake the cake, and heat the topping separately. Here’s how to do it:
- In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Stir in brown sugar, cream and chopped nuts. Whisk together until well mixed.
- Spread mixture over warm cake and place under broiler until lightly browned, about 1-3 minutes.
Watch it closely! It can burn easily under the broiler. Don’t ask me how I know.
How to Store Date Cake
This cake is safe to store at room temperature for about 3 days. After that, freeze any leftovers.
Can you freeze date cake?
Yes! This cake will freeze well. Just make sure it is in an airtight container. Allow the cake to defrost completely before opening the container. This will keep the cake moist.
Other Cakes with Raisins
Date and Walnut Cake
An easy date and walnut cake with a broiled topping. This old fashioned cake recipe is delicious with a dollop of whipped cream.
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cups raisins
- 3/4 cup dates (pitted and chopped)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
- In a saucepan, combine water and raisins. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped dates and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter and ¾ cup white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour, salt and date mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and set oven to low broil.
Make the Topping:
- In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in brown sugar, cream and chopped nuts. Whisk together until well mixed.
- Spread mixture over warm cake and place under broiler until lightly browned, about 1-3 minutes. Watch it closely! It can burn easily under the broiler.
- Allow the cake to cool.
- Serve with whipped cream.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 441IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Perfect cake. Rich, satisfying, crunchy. Love it
Made this cake for my husband on his birthday today and it’s so good. Can’t wait to see how the taste improves over the next few days. I used, raisins, dates, dried apricots and figs.