I love baking during my free time. Especially healthy bakes without sugar and using wheat flour instead of maida. My kids have been eating these cakes since they were babies and love them a lot. So I keep experimenting with different proportions and ingredients.
Dates and carrot cake is a commonly found cake in bakeries specially in Cochin where I have spent 13 years of my life. I used to ask my Aanu (my dad) to bring it for me when he went out to buy groceries. I never thought then that I would bake this cake at home and it would turn out exactly the same taste and texture.
Also this cake uses dates paste as main sweetening agent. So does not need sugar at all. Jaggery can also be skipped if you don’t have an extra sweet tooth. Hence best for people who don’t want any form of refined sugar in their diet.
I feel happy to share my bakes as I am really proud of them. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy baking!
RECIPE:
Ingredients: { 1 Cup = 240 ml}
Dry ingredients:
1 Cup whole wheat flour/ Gehun ka Atta (I use Pillsbury brand)
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Wet ingredients:
1 Cup peeled and grated Carrots
1 Cup Milk (Use 1/2 Cup to soak the dates and 1/2 Cup to add to the mixture)
3/4 Cup Dates (after removing seeds)
1/4 Cup Ghee
1/4 Cup Jaggery powder (Optional)* check notes
Step by step recipe:
1. Soak dates in 1/2 Cup milk for about 30 mins to an hour till it turns soft. Grind the soaked dates and the milk to a smooth paste. After that preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins.
2. Sieve together wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Keep aside.
3. In another bowl, take the dates paste, grated carrots, ghee and jaggery (if using).
4. Mix well using spatula. Now add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold well. Do NOT overmix. Just mix once so that the flour specks are not seen.
5. Now add the rest of the 1/2 Cup milk and mix once.
6. Grease the loaf pan with ghee and pour the batter into the pan. Level using spatula.
7. Bake at 180 C for 30 to 35 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Note: Every oven is different. So keep an eye after 25 mins so that the surface doesn’t turn black.
8. Allow it to cool completely. The top surface may be hard when you touch. It will be super soft as it cools down. Invert, slice and serve.
Notes:
* This cake tastes sweet even without jaggery as it has dates paste and carrots but since my kids have an extra sweet tooth, I add 1/4 Cup Jaggery. You can reduce or completely skip it if you don’t like cakes extra sweet.
* Please see that you divide the 1 Cup milk into two halves. 1/2 Cup milk to soak the dates and 1/2 Cup milk to add to the mixture as last step.
* Grind the dates in the soaked milk itself. Don’t add extra milk or water while grinding.
* My cake takes exactly 30 mins at 180 C. Every oven is different. So keep an eye after 25 mins so that the surface doesn’t turn black.
*Allow the cake to cool completely. The top surface may be hard when you touch. It will be super soft as it cools down.
* Lasts well for couple of days at room temperature if kept in an airtight container and handled well. Tastes even better the next day and the texture turns even softer.
* If you are new to baking, I have written an article combining all notes and pointers that I learnt in my decade long baking journey. You can check that if needed – Baking Basics for Beginners
* You can also check my Healthy Cakes and Cookie recipes Compilation for more healthy baking.
* Dates in cakes taste so heavenly and my Dates Chocolate Brownie and Dates Oats Cake recipes are examples to that.
I have tried to note down as much points as possible so that it’s easy for you all to follow but if you still have any doubts, either comment here or message me on my Facebook page Healthy cooking with mitha and I would be happy to help. Happy baking!
Healthy cooking with Mitha 
It’s really easy and very good recipe. I will say with such a clear directions even a novice can bake this cake without any issue. Thanks a lot for this.
LikeLike
Wow that is such an amazing comment. Made my day! Thank you so much.
LikeLike
I agree. Definitely going to try this recipe!
Thank you for sharing your recipe
LikeLike
My pleasure!
LikeLike
What can be substituted for jaggery powder
LikeLike
It can be skipped or replaced with cane sugar or regular sugar.
LikeLike
Going to try this soon! A very healthy cake!👍 can we add date syrup?
LikeLike
Though I have not used date syrup in this recipe, I am sure you can use it though I can’t say about the measurements. Do use the 1 Cup milk though to get the desired moisture in the cake.
LikeLike
Such a lovely receipe 🙂 Although it wasn’t a success for me as i kept opening oven to see if it cooked out of curiosity ! 1st time baker you know 😉 Mitha was kind enough to guide me right and now i’m inspired and buying a new loaf pan to try all again..Thanks for the inspiration to cook healthy choices 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Yes, that’s one of the main mistakes even I did during my first few bakes. The temperature changes drastically and the cake does not bake properly. My pleasure to help you Sneha. Glad I inspired you. Keep baking! 😊
LikeLike
May I know how much is 1 cup in grams and ml?
LikeLike
My 1 Cup is 240 ml. I have not measured the ingredients in grams.
LikeLike
I used to do this in my teens. Was very impatient. The partially cooked cakes, hard as stone cakes, refusing-to-rise-cakes have become legendary family stories. I am a better cook now but I totally relate to curiosity 😉 :))
LikeLike
Tried this recipe..it is just awesome.. thank you so much Ma’am
LikeLike
Can I add eggs if yes how many?
LikeLike
I have always made this eggless. So can’t say. Sorry.
LikeLike
Wonderful recipe- specially when I don’t like too much of sweet. Going to try this today. Have all the ingredients available with me. 🙂 thanks for sharing
LikeLike
Thank you so much. You can easily skip jaggery since you don’t like sweet. My pleasure to share 😊
LikeLike
Thank you ! My cake turned out super soft and yummy except that it had a wet texture while eating … mild sogginess…wonder why ? Plz do advise for my next attempt
LikeLike
This cake does turn out very moist but if you feel it was more wet than you would like, just reduce the quantity of milk by about 2 tablespoons. I am sure it will work.
LikeLike
Hi Mitha
Just stumbled upon ur blog and I am pleasantly surprised by the dates and carrot cake.The konkani recipes look promisimg. Glad to have found you. Following ur blog.
And trying this recipe soon 🙂
Manju BK
LikeLike
Hello Manju,
So glad you found the recipe of Dates cake good. It comes out delicious. Glad you liked the Konkani recipes too. Thanks for following. Do try this cake. You will love it for sure. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can i substitute wheat flour with almond flour?
LikeLike
Never tried with almond flour. So can’t say. Sorry.
LikeLike
Can I bake it without oven? If so,then how long would it take?
LikeLike
I have not tried this without oven. You can check videos for baking cakes in kadhai on YouTube and follow the same recipe. Timing will be more than maida cakes. Can’t say the exact time as I have not tried it.
LikeLike
Looks yummy! Will definitely try it. If I had to substitute jaggery with dark brown sugar, would the measurement be same? Thanks.
LikeLike
Thank you so much. Yes, the measurement would be the same.
LikeLike
Hello ma’m
Can i use home grind wheat floor?
LikeLike
Yes of course. You can use.
LikeLike
Can we use oil instead of ghee?
LikeLike
Yes you can use oil instead of ghee.
LikeLike
Any alternative to bake it in oven?
LikeLike
You can bake this in a kadhai or cooker. There are many videos on youtube to show the same. Just follow my recipe using that method.
LikeLike
Hi thank you for the recipe..
Today I tried it. I didn’t had loaf pan so Used a rectangular pan to bake the cake was moist and too good. But i felt bit bitter taste and felt the raw flour taste. I am first time Baker don’t know wat was wrong can u give me some suggestions why it happened so!
LikeLike
Oh okay. My guess is it needed more bake time for the raw flour taste but still it should not taste bitter. Have you tasted wheat based cakes before? They are not like maida ones and have a nutty wheat taste, if that’s what you mean. Also, please don’t keep opening the oven door in between. It’s important for even baking.
LikeLike
we are found of cakes especially for my kid but want to make it healthy, then i found this website . Tried 2 types of cakes – oats with dates and ragi cake and they are delicious. Now Iam excited to try all the recipes from cooking with mita. Thank you sooo much for the healthy and tasty recipies.
LikeLike
So sweet of you dear. Very happy to read your comment. Thank you so much ❤️
LikeLike