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Date Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An old fashioned dessert, this deliciously sweet Date Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting is wonderful when served with coffee.

This old fashioned date cake was delicious and different from our usual desserts. The original recipe didn’t have a frosting but I thought the cream cheese frosting complimented it very well.

Be sure to check the frosting to see if you want it sweeter or thinner in consistency.

Close up of Date Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Date Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

An old fashioned dessert, this deliciously sweet Date Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting is wonderful when served with coffee.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings, 9×13-inch pan
Calories 417 kcal

Equipment

  • 9″x13″ Baking Pan

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 16 ounce package dates pitted, and chopped in small pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
  • 2 cups all purpose flour fluff up the flour before scooping so it is not packed
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • zest from one orange
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt optional
  • if needed, thin the frosting with a light splash of OJ or milk

Instructions
 

For the cake:

  • Prepare your 9×13" baking pan with baking spray.
  • Mix together the dates, water, and butter in a covered heat safe bowl and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Add remaining cake ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour into the baking pan.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350-f degrees. Check the cake at 30 minutes and test with a toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean it should be done. Frost with prepared cream cheese frosting.

For the frosting:

  • Beat cream cheese, butter, and orange zest. Beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until blended and smooth. Taste the frosting to check the flavor. If it isn't sweet enough for you, add a bit more powdered sugar. Add pinch of salt if desired. If needed, add a light splash of OJ or milk to thin the frosting. Let chill in the fridge until ready to frost the cake.
  • Note: If you have any clumps of cream cheese in the frosting that wont blend in, this means your cream cheese was too cold. You can try to microwave it for about 5 seconds at a time, then stirring to dissolve them.
  • Frost the cooled cake and cut into 12 servings.

Notes

I prefer using Swerve sugar substitute to reduce calories, as well as reduced fat cream cheese. Nutritional info is based on using these substitutions.
Date cake recipe from Ciao Italia. Frosting recipe adapted from Allrecipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 342mgFiber: 4gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 407IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 2mg
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6 Comments

  1. Wow~ This cake looks wonderful~ I love dates and it's great to see a recipe using dates! I have got to try this delicious looking cake:) Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

  2. I use to make one that you would roll up in a towel for overnight then open and frost and roll back up! Can this be done with this one??

    1. Apologies but as this was posted 7 years ago, I can't recall the texture of the cake well enough to know if it could be rolled up.

  3. CAN’T SEEM TO PRINT THIS SO I CAN MAKE THIS, LOOKS SO GOOD. ALSO NEVER HEARD OF CHILLED CREAM CHEESE TO MAKE THIS FROSTING

    1. Hi Kim- I will work on updating this so you can more easily print this recipe. There should be a print it button at the bottom of every post on the site, as a heads up. I will fix the typo for chilled cream cheese. It should be softened. TY for letting me know!