Eggless Date Cake

A recipe I started making for my Muslim friends for when they celebrate Eid, and I was able to share with my Sikh grandmother who is vegetarian and doesn't eat eggs. I got the original recipe from an Indian cooking blog, but modified it to the recipe I currently use below. Now it's my most requested cake no matter what the occasion! Delicious on its own, with a cup of tea, or warmed up and topped with vanilla ice cream!

• Calories: 320 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Optional)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Optional)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
• 18 dates, pitted and left whole

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat milk in a saucepan until almost boiling and stir in dates; let soak for several hours, refrigerated. For best flavor, refrigerate dates and milk overnight.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a medium loaf pan.

Step 3

Transfer milk and dates to food processor, add brown sugar, and process into a smooth paste. Mix in vegetable oil and vanilla extract with a few pulses.

Step 4

Whisk flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Pulse flour mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, into the date paste until batter is smooth; do not overmix. Stir walnuts into batter with a fork and transfer to the prepared loaf pan.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.