This Sticky Date Bundt Cake is a rich and moist cake, filled with warm flavors, and drizzled with a delicious toffee sauce. It's a perfect cake to enjoy all year round, especially during the cold winter months.
I love dates and actually eat dates quite often, and almost always have some on hand. I grew up in the Middle East where palm trees were everywhere, and date markets were a thing. So to say that I love dates, and have my favorites is probably a bit of an understatement. I can eat dates right out of the package and be very content, but sometimes, I like to jazz them up by adding filings and coating them in chocolate, or by turning them into an absolutely delightful Sticky Date Bundt Cake.
This easy cake is perfect for the winter months, especially because of the warm spices, and extra rich toffee sauce! It's also the perfect addition to your Ramadan or Eid spreads.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Dates - If you're like me and a bit obsessed with dates, then this date-filled cake is right up your alley!
Flavorful - From the dates to the warm spices, this cake is filled with delicious and warm flavors, just like my Carrot Bundt Cake.
Moist - The dates and oil create a moist cake that lasts for days.
Toffee sauce - I love a simple sauce, and this toffee sauce pairs perfectly with this date cake. It's actually adapted from my butterscotch sauce, which is essentially the same thing.
Bundt cake - One of my favorite types of cakes is a bundt cake because it's an easy one layer cake that you just throw into a pan, and it's always so impressive, no matter what type of cake you make.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Date Cake
- Dates - I like to use Medjool dates because they're soft and taste absolutely delicious. Make sure to remove the pits before weighing, and chop them up.
- Water - This needs to be boiling hot to help soften the dates in preparation to be mashed.
- Milk - I like to use a little milk for richness. You can use any type of milk, or sub for extra water.
- Baking soda - Adding a little baking soda to the dates and hot water helps the dates soften.
- Flour - I use all purpose flour for the best structure.
- Baking powder -Leavening to help lift the cake.
- Salt - A little salt to balance flavors.
- Butter - Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature to help when creaming the butters and sugars.
- Sugar - I like to add mostly dark brown sugar and a little granulated sugar.
- Oil - Use you can use any neutral oil you have on hand, like vegetable, canola, avocado, or light olive oil.
- Eggs - 3 large eggs at room temperature.
- Spices - I use cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Feel free to add or reduce your favorite spices.
Toffee Sauce
- Butter - Unsalted butter. Could be at room temperature or cold straight out of the fridge. It doesn't matter too much because you're melting it anyway.
- Sugar - Dark brown sugar, or you can use light brown if that's all you have on hand.
- Heavy Cream - Heavy cream to help create a thick, but loose consistency, and also adds richness.
- Salt - Balances out the sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Bundt Pan: You'll need a 10-12 cup bundt pan.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer to cream the butter and sugar.
⇄ Substitutions
Brown Sugar - You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
Oil - You can use any type of oil. For this specific cake, I used vegetable oil, but I've successfully used a light olive oil as well.
Spices - You can add more cinnamon or nutmeg. You can even add a little cardamom.
✨ Variations
Nuts - Add some walnuts or pecans to the batter or even the top of the cake.
Caramel - Instead of a toffee, you can make a homemade salted caramel sauce.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Prep the pan: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
Step 1
In a medium bowl, add the chopped dates, baking soda, boiling water, and milk and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2
After 15 minutes, use a potato masher, meat masher, or even the bottom of a cup to mash the dates. You're not looking for it to become a puree. Just mash it for 45 seconds to a minute until it's soft and as you're mashing, the liquid becomes a little thicker. It's ok to have chunks.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the vegetable oil and eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl so that all is incorporated.
Step 4
Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, then mix until mostly incorporated (if you still see streaks of flour, that's perfect).
Step 5
Lastly, add the date mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
💡 Hint: Be sure to generously spray your bundt pan with baking spray to avoid any sticking.
Step 6
Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.
Step 7
Once cake is cooled, Place a medium sauce pan on medium heat, then add the butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the dark brown sugar and heavy cream and stir, then let it come to a boil, making sure to stir it often. Let it boil for about 5-6 minutes, then stir in the salt and remove from heat and place the glaze in heatproof jars or containers if not ready to pour on cake. As the glaze cools, it will thicken.
💬 FAQ
The number one reason cakes stick to bundt pans is that the pan was not greased enough. I know a lot of people swear by buttering and flouring the pans, but I have never had success using that. I highly recommend using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. The cakes come out in one piece.
Yes. You can switch the milk for a dairy-free milk and use vegan butter in the date cake.
Absolutely! To make ahead, make the bundt cake, but don't pour the sauce on top. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. When ready to serve, let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, while cake comes to room temperature, make the toffee sauce to pour on top.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't over mix - Once the ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing.
Grease Bundt Pan - It's so important to make sure your bundt pan is heavily greased when making bundt recipes because they tend to stick. To avoid a cake from sticking, grease every single nook and cranny of the pan. I HIGHLY recommend the Baker's Joy cooking spray because I have had success 100% of the time using it.
Don't over bake - Start checking the bundt cake at 48 minutes by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, remove them from the oven. Depending on your oven, it could take longer. Mine take closer to between 50-55 minutes.
Cool cake - Before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack, make sure the cake cools down for at least 15 minutes.
Make ahead - To make ahead, make the bundt cake, but don't pour the sauce on top. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. When ready to serve, let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, while cake comes to room temperature, make the toffee sauce to pour on top.
❄ Storage
Room Temperature - Store date cake in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
Refrigerator - To last a little longer, place the sticky date bundt cake in the refrigerator to keep for about a week.
Freezer - without sauce, wrap individual slices in saran wrap, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. When ready to eat, let come to room temperature. Prepare sauce and pour over slice.
📖 Recipe Card
Sticky Date Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-12 Cup Bundt pan
- Mixing bowls
- handheld mixer
Ingredients
Date Cake
- 12 oz. Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (weighed after pitting)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup Boiling water (Measured after boiling)
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
Toffee Sauce
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups (300g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Date Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350℉Prep the pan: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
- In a medium bowl, add the chopped dates, baking soda, boiling water, and milk and let sit for 10-15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use a potato masher, meat masher, or even the bottom of a cup to mash the dates. You're not looking for it to become a puree. Just mash it for 45 seconds to a minute until it's soft and as you're mashing, the liquid becomes a little thicker. It's ok to have chunks.12 oz. Medjool dates, pitted and chopped, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup Boiling water, ½ cup Milk
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and sugar, and using a stand mixer with a beater attachment, or a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, about 2-3 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bowl. Then add the vegetable oil and eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl so that all is incorporated.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, packed, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, room temperature
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, then mix until mostly incorporated (if you still see streaks of flour, that's perfect). Lastly, add the date mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.3 cups (360g) all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.
Toffee Sauce
- Once cake is cooled, Place a medium sauce pan on medium heat, then add the butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the dark brown sugar and heavy cream and stir, then let it come to a boil, making sure to stir it often. Let it boil for about 5-6 minutes, then stir in the salt and remove from heat and place the glaze in heatproof jars or containers if not ready to pour on cake. As the glaze cools, it will thicken.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1½ cups (300g) dark brown sugar, packed, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt
- You can pour it all on the cake at once, or pour on each individual slice as you serve.
This was my first attempt at making any sort of sticky toffee pudding/date cake (and the first time I've ever commented on a recipe haha) and it was so damn good!!! I made it for the holidays and my family loved it! I have celiac though, so I used Bobs 1-to-1 flour and I think it turned out perfectly! I also added a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger into the dates + boiling water mixture, just cause I had it around. Can't wait to try more of your recipes, thanks so much for sharing Hakima !! <3
Oh, Mima! Thank you so much for this wonderful review! I'm so honored you made my recipe and loved it. Thank you! 🫶