Carrot Date Cake (Naturally Sweetened)

1 slice of carrot cake lying on a cooling rack.

Author: Katie

This date sweetened carrot cake is a perfectly moist, warmly spiced cake that’s naturally sweetened with dates but just as satisfying as the original.

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5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American-Inspired

Servings: 10 slices

Equipment

2 mixing bowls
1 spatula
1 immersion blender
1 loaf pan or cake pan

Ingredients

Cake

1½ - 2 cups (9 - 10,5oz) tightly packed cups (250-300 g) pitted dates *depending on preferred sweetness, see notes
1 cup (150 g) white flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt (about ⅛ tsp)
⅓ cup (75 ml) neutral oil *I used canola oil
1 cup (150 g) finley grated carrot
¼ cup (55 g) soy milk *or sub oat milk, almond milk...
handful of walnuts

Cashew Date Frosting (optional)

1 cup (140 g) cashews
1 cup (150 g) dates
¼ cup (55 g) oat milk *or almond, soy...
2 tablespoon melted coconut oil

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 356℉ (180℃).
Cover the dates in hot water and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
1½ - 2 cups (9 - 10,5oz) tightly packed cups pitted dates
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
1 cup white flour , 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt (about ⅛ tsp)
Drain the dates and blend until you end up with a smooth paste. I achieved the smoothest results blending in two batches using a hand blender and a deep measuring jug. (You can use any other high-sided bowl that's narrow at the bottom). You'll also need to scape down the sides of the blender a couple of times (yes, it's a sticky mess ;-)).
1½ - 2 cups (9 - 10,5oz) tightly packed cups pitted dates
In a separate bowl combine the date paste with the remaining wet ingredients.
⅓ cup neutral oil , 1 cup finley grated carrot , ¼ cup soy milk
Gently combine both wet and dry ingredients.
Add in a handful of chopped walnuts (optional) and transfer to a loaf pan (8x4 inch/ 20X10 cm) lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 50-55 minutes (conventional heat) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I usually cover with foil halfway through.

Cashew Date Frosting (optional)

Soak cashews and dates in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and add them to a food processor together with the oat milk and melted coconut oil.
Blend until you end up with a smooth cream. If you can, use a small food processor jug; otherwise, it won't blend smoothly.
Spread evenly onto the cake using a spatula or wet spoon.

Video

Notes

Amount of dates: Depending on how sweet you like the cake you could either go for 1 ½ or 2 cups of dates. I usually go for 1 ½ cup because it's sweet enough for me (especially if you add some icing) but it's totally up to you.
Type of dates: I used regular small dates, if you're using Medjool dates, stick to the oz measurement to get it right.
Smooth date texture: I achieved the best results by blending the dates in a tall, narrow bowl or container like a deep measuring jug or a high-sided bowl using a hand blender. I didn't like the way my small food processor blended them, the paste wasn't nearly as smooth. You could also chop each pitted date into smaller pieces before blending if your blender is having a hard time.
Cake pan or loaf pan?: If you want to make this in a cake pan (8 inch) rather than a loaf pan, adjust the baking temperature to 30-35 minutes.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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