This Coconut Date Cake is rich with flavor and has a delightfully tender crumb. It’s served with a thick drizzle of tahini fudge sauce that makes it taste like a cross between sticky toffee pudding and an almond joy candy.
This recipe was directly inspired by Zaynab Issa’s Banana Cake with Tahini Fudge. It looked super tasty and we wanted to create something similar but with our own spin on it. Instead of a banana cake, we opted for a coconut date cake that pairs perfectly with the tahini fudge sauce.
The cake itself is plush and pillowy with a deep caramel-like flavor from the dates and brown sugar. Plus, the shredded coconut gives the cake a slight chew that makes the crumb nice and tender.
This Coconut Date Cake serves 9 big slices but you can always cut them into 16 smaller ones. Either way, we recommend serving it warm with a big spoonful of tahini fudge sauce and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Pitted Medjool Dates: You’ll need 226 g (8 oz) which is about 12-16 dates depending on their size.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: The baking soda is added early on in the recipe to help break down and soften the dates when soaking. The baking powder is the main lifter for the cake.
- Eggs: Leave them out for at least 2 hours before baking or soak them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Soak the dates. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan then pour it over the dates and baking soda. Cover and let the dates soak for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. Mash the dates. Use a fork to mash the dates into a paste, leaving some chunks for texture.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the date mixture and whisk until well combined.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the flour mixture until a few streaks remain then fold in the shredded coconut until just combined.
5. Bake. Transfer the batter to a lined 8×8-inch square baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is domed and springs back in the center when lightly touched.
6. Make the tahini fudge sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and heavy cream then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the tahini, salt, and dark chocolate until smooth.
Tips for Making This Coconut Date Cake
- Use a kitchen scale. As always, we recommend measuring by weight when making baked goods. There’s less cleanup and you won’t run the risk of over or under measuring your ingredients. Especially flour and sugar.
- If needed, use a potato masher. Using a fork to mash the dates is fine, but if you feel like you need a bit more help to break them down, a potato masher will do.
- Test for doneness by touching the surface of the cake. A cake tester can be a bit misleading for this cake specifically. The way that we test for doneness is by gently tapping the center of the cake. If it springs back, it’s done. If it makes an indent, it needs more time in the oven.
- Add the dark chocolate to the fudge sauce last. If you add it before some of the other ingredients, it might get too hot and split the fudge sauce. Adding it last gives it less time to scald.
If you made this Coconut Date Cake recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Coconut Date Cake with Tahini Fudge Sauce
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Oven Thermometer
- 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) Square Baking Pan
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
Coconut Date Cake:
- 250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
- 226 g (8 oz) pitted medjool dates chopped, about 12-16 dates
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 195 g (1 ½ cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 80 g (¾ cup) unsweetened shredded coconut
Tahini Fudge Sauce:
- 67 g (⅓ cup) light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ tsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 125 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
- 3 tbsp tahini well-stirred
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- 90 g (3 oz) 70% dark chocolate chopped
- Toasted sesame seeds optional, for topping
Instructions
Coconut Date Cake:
- Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. While that's heating, add the chopped dates and baking soda to a large bowl.
- Once boiling, pour the milk over the bowl of dates and give it a quick stir. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let them soak for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Uncover the bowl of dates and use a fork to mash and mix them into a paste, leaving some small chunks for texture.
- To the bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and use a silicone spatula to fold it into the batter until a few streaks remain. Add the shredded coconut and fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is puffed and the center springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing.
Tahini Fudge Sauce:
- Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, and heavy cream to a small saucepan and whisk until well combined. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently.
- Reduce the heat to low and quickly add the tahini, flaky sea salt, and dark chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth then immediately transfer to a heatproof jar (if the chocolate stays on the heat too long, the fudge sauce will split).
- Serve each slice of cake warm with a generous spoonful of tahini fudge sauce and an optional sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store the cake and fudge sauce in separate airtight containers and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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