While you are here, don’t forget to check out our old-fashioned classic Christmas cake and eggless dark brown Christmas plum cake. Jump to:Recipe cardBest holiday sweet bread recipeIngredientsStep-by-step instructionsTips to make the best date loaf cakeStore and Make-aheadMore eggless dessert recipesUser Reviews

Recipe card

Best holiday sweet bread recipe

Also, check out our vegan apple date bread prepared for Thanksgiving and Christmas, vegan almond and fig cake.

Ingredients

Dates: use any soft, pitted dates like Medjool. Milk: I have used full-fat milk. Feel free to use 2% or skim milk or dairy-free milk to make vegan date cake. All-purpose flour: Gives structure to the bread. You can substitute with whole wheat flour or use ½ flour and ½ wheat flour. The texture will vary accordingly. Baking soda: Helps the bread rise. Sugar: We have used granulated sugar. You can skip the sugar to make it sugar-free or reduce the amount for mild sweetness. Melted butter: Makes your bread rich and moist. You can use coconut oil instead to make vegan date loaf. Nuts: I have combined roasted almonds, cashews, and raisins. You can use walnuts or pecans. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking pan with butter or line it with parchment paper and keep it ready. I have baked this in a bundt pan as well as a loaf pan. Both works. Just the baking time varies. 

Tips to make the best date loaf cake

Seedless or pitted dates are used in the recipe.  I always dry roast the nuts before adding them to the batter. It enhances the taste but is optional. Reduce the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the dates. The color of the cake may vary from what you see here, depending on the dates you have used. I have used whole milk. You can use any non-dairy milk to make vegan cake or even 2%, or skim milk.  Use a bundt pan or bread loaf pan of your desired shape. The thickness and baking time may vary accordingly. You can top the cake with more nuts, cream cheese frosting, or even powdered sugar to give it a festive look.  You can cut down on fat or substitute butter with oil to make it vegan.  I love the crunchiness that nuts give to the recipe. You can skip the nuts entirely if you love a plain dark date loaf cake.  Flour can be substituted with wheat flour. The color, taste, and texture of bread will vary accordingly.  You can use walnuts or pecans to make old-fashioned date nut bread during Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Store and Make-ahead

This cake can be served after it has come to room temperature, but in my opinion, it tastes even better once it has sat at least overnight. Cover and keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for three days. You can also freeze the cake for up to three months. Double wrap to avoid freezer burns. Date cake or date loaf is one of the best make-ahead holiday desserts. You can also wrap them and give them to your family in the form of gifts during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

More eggless dessert recipes

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