This festive and hearty cake is not only delicious, but very fragrant. Its few ingredients and steps make for easy preparation, and it may be served plain or with Vanilla or Lemon Frosting. It uses no oil, and still bakes up moist without being greasy.
I have received some questions about millet, as it’s a lesser-used whole grain. Millet is a non-glutinous grain that works really well in sweet breads and cake, I’ve found (see photo of millet at end of this post). Using all oat flour (which I commonly use) results in baked desserts being too dense and heavy. The millet lifts things a bit and results in a nice, moist cake that is thoroughly cooked.
If you don’t have millet on hand, I encourage you to purchase some (usually at healthier groceries, I buy mine in the bulk section; or online). If you’d like to use another type of flour in place of the millet, give it try and let me know how it goes.
As for pre-ground millet flour purchased at the store vs. whole-grain millet that you grind yourself (in a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix), I always grind my own, since that way I don’t have more flour than I need sitting around. But if you do use pre-ground, the measurement is the same. I don’t like to make people hunt around for unusual ingredients, but since millet works so well, I think it’s worth using in this recipe (I also use it in my Zucchini Bread). Thanks!
- 7 ounces pitted dates (11 to 12 Medjool or 22 to 24 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 1½ cups unsweetened nondairy milk
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup dry/uncooked millet
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- Lemon Frosting (optional)
- 2 cups sliced strawberries (optional)
- Place the dates, milk, and almond extract into a small bowl, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the dates can soften). Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a standard size loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inches) with parchment paper.
- Grind the rolled oats and millet into flour with a blender (30 to 40 seconds; millet is hard). Place the oat and millet flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl, and whisk.
- Pour the soaking ingredients (dates, milk, and almond extract) into the blender, and blend until smooth. Add this mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients along with the applesauce and lemon zest, and stir until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is medium brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving plain or with Lemon Frosting and sliced strawberries.
Lemons: A regular lemon will work just fine for the cake and frosting, but a fragrant Meyer lemon is extra good. Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange, and are in stores seasonally.
Ground nut topping: To add a bit of flair, grind some nuts on top of the frosted cake using a rotary cheese grater (as shown in top photo)
Baking powder: I use sodium-free baking powder in my desserts.
If you'd like 12 cupcakes or muffins, bake in a muffin pan with parchment paper liners at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. For a square cake, bake in an 8 x 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Above: Oat and millet flours together help give this cake a moist texture that isn’t too dense or gummy (which oat flour tends to do when used on its own).
Above: A couple slices of cake with chopped almonds added and Lemon Frosting.
Above: This is the type of millet used most in the U.S. You can find it in the bulk sections at healthy grocery stores, or you can purchase it online.
Above: To make pink frosting, blend in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the water that remains after boiling red beets to this Vanilla or Lemon Frosting recipe.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please share a comment below or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to print this recipe, use the green “Print” button near the top-right of the recipe. Learn more about the Straight Up Food Cookbook here. Thank you!
Great job on this recipe! It served as a perfect holiday dessert.
This looks delicious! I was so excited when I found your site. I love healthy vegan recipes with no added sugar, oil, and all of that processed stuff. Thank you!
Made this for a family member who has to eat Gluten Free and he and everyone else LOVED it! This was my first time grinding millet and oats to make flour and I must say, that I was screaming with excitement to see it turn into flour so fast. That’s the best idea ever! This recipe is a keeper for me! Thank you!
Thanks Kelli! Yes, grains ground as you need them always taste better; then you don’t have extra flour taking up space in the cupboard. 😉
I just discovered your blog and I love it! Question – In your baked goods, have you tried date sugar instead of whole dates? It seems more convenient and more like “traditional” baking. Just pondering the conversion amounts.
Hi, no I haven’t because the health center I work at emphasizes whole foods; so that is why I use dates mostly. But if you use date sugar, let me know how it goes. Thanks!
badass! love it!
We want to cook this in our plant-based cooking class at Columbia’s Cooking, but we have a nut allergy. Any recommendations for another extract to use instead of almond?
Lemon or vanilla would be great, or a bit of both. 🙂
Mine did not rise at all, very dense. It tasted great, just felt gummy and heavy. I went exactly by the recipe. Any ideas why?
Hi Trena, yes, this cake does not really rise up; but it should still be cooked through. I usually wait until completely cooled to cut it to avoid any texture of being undercooked or gummy. Also, sometimes store-bought flour can make it more gummy since that flour is generally finer than what we grind at home. But it doesn’t sound like you used that. Glass dishes also can result in a “softer” baked good than a metal pan.
I tested it at 55 minutes with a long toothpick and it came out dry…twice…so I removed it from the oven. I waited 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and even more than 30 minutes longer before frosting it and cutting. I loved making my own flour from the oats and millet, that was a first for me. I will continue to do that for other baked recipes. My pan was metal, an insulated loaf pan I’ve always had good results with. Do you think a 350° oven would be better? I will try again and either up the heat or cook a little longer. Or maybe I ground my “flour” too fine?
You could try 350, although with loaf cakes that are so tall, you run the risk of overcooking the top/outside before the inside is done. I would just leave it at 325 and cook a little longer. 🙂
Thanks Cathy! ?
Hi! Love your site and recipes!
As for this particular one, well, I have now tried it twice. Both times the results were slightly gummy. Also, your medjol dates must be much larger than the one I get at Costco. To get the equivalent amount in oz I have to use twice the amount of dates. Also, 1 med lemon (also from Costco!)did not yield 1/2 cup of juice. I used 1 lemon in the frosting and tasted it. It was just less than a 1/4 of a cup and that was plent of lemon. I think 1/2 cup of juice would be too much! Finally, since my boys have nut allergies, I substituted pumpkin seeds in the frosting. I needed 3 tbsp for the 1 oz. the color was unappetizingly caramel with green undertones but it did taste great. I used store bought flour since I don’t have a vita mix, but even so, my cakes came out much darker than your photos (almost like a dark banana bread). Perhaps using more dates affects the color? I did bake them longer than 60 min to try to correct the trxture but even so… In any case, I’ll keep experimenting. I really like your site and have tried several of your recipes to mixed reviews from my crew – some are big fans (my husband and oldest son) but the younger boys would rather eat the white flour, sugar and oil recipes they are used too…still, I will get everyone on board eventually, but I may need to transition them more gradually. Thanks for all your amazing recipes and also for your very polite reader feedback! It’s such a pleasure after the stuff that passes for human interaction on political comments sections of various news sites!
Hi Ulana, yes, dates come in all sizes; the ounces will always be the more accurate measure. I’m glad you did this. Store bought flour will also result in a more moist/gummy texture since it is ground finer. Thanks! 😉
I could sit for a long time looking/copying your recipes. I appreciate your site greatly. I even use less dates that u recommend to cut the sweetness. I have a vitamix, but really like using my Ninja. The small container with opening sits on the machine. Thx a bunch.
When yyou say “non dairy milk” … are you talking about almond milk or other nut- or grain based milks?
Any milk that is not animal-based. 🙂
I am making it for the second time this week 😀 it is delicious, even my not-so-keen-on-healthy-diet husband loved it 🙂
Yay! 😉
Can I use almond flour or oat flour instead of millet?
I think a different type of flour would be best, so maybe the almond. I’ve never tried that, but let me know how it goes. 🙂
I am gluten free and I also avoid oats. Do you think I can substitute quinoa flour?
I think so, but I’d still use the millet in addition. 🙂
Can i use wheat pastry flour with oat flour
Sure. 🙂
We made a (???) with dates, covered with water to soak, & then used a blender to beat them smooth. How would I measured this to make 8 dates?
Hi Patsy, I’m not sure I understand your question. You’ll start with 8 Medjool dates (pitted) then blend them with the water.
How do I measure date paste to equal 8 Medjool dates?
I’ve never used date paste; maybe check Google. 🙂
I have made this a few times in the past and it is always good. This evening I wanted to make it but did not have lemon, so I used an orange. It worked but did not come out as orange-y tasting as I hoped. I think I would use even more orange zest and more orange juice in the glaze. I thought I would share this idea if others wanted to make this but also did not have a lemon on hand.
Thank you, Amy! 😉
I love this recipe! I love lemon poppy seed cake, so I was so happy to find this! I made it into 10 cupcakes and I plan to eat one every day :). Do you know a good whole food brownie recipe?
The McDougalls have a brownie recipe, but it calls for white sugar and flour. I don’t use cocoa so I don’t have one. 🙁
Darn haha, why don’t you use cocoa powder?
Hey 🙂 can I also use vanilla instead of almond? Because I don’t really like the flavor.
Sure! 😉
I loved this recipe and it smelled amazing! I didn’t have dates so I used raisins instead and didn’t have millet so I used whole wheat flour in its place. Very awesome texture and not too dense
Delicious! I will make again for sure. Tried making the frosting in my vitamix and it didn’t work because it was too small of an amount and didn’t cover the blades. I’d like to know how people are making this. It’s too small of an amount to put in my food processor as well.
Hi Cathy – just discovered your site and am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! I made this cake/bread this morning and also had some issues with gumminess and it being pretty dense – but I will definitely keep working to fine tune it because I love the flavor! I was also wondering about using date paste. I have some (that I made myself) in the fridge and started to use it in the recipe but didn’t want to mess it up. If I wanted to try the paste, do you have any idea how much paste would equal 12 dates? Would I just measure it out in oz.?
Hi Kathy, not sure about date paste; I’ve never used it. But Google it, you may find an equivalent. Yes, this is a dense cake, like pound cake. The cakes are best when completely cooled, so try it again after that (if you didn’t) and if still too moist, you can cook it a bit longer. Everyone’s pans and ovens are slightly different, so feel free to tweak the time. 🙂
I purchased millet that’s already been ground into flour. Should I still use 3/4 cup?
It’s about the same. But it will be finer so your cake may be moister in the middle.
Hi,
If I have left over frosting how long typically will that last in the fridge?
It will start separating after a couple days, so I’d eat it w/in 2-3 days. 🙂
Hello, I just made the Almond-Poppy Seed Cake and frosting, and although it tastes great, my cake didn’t rise well and was only about half the height of yours. I’m not sure what I did wrong, and wonder if I maybe I didn’t grind the grains enough. Could this cause a flat cake? I used my Vitamix (but I don’t have the grain jar) and it only seemed to take a few seconds to get very powdery – although I did notice some grittiness in the final batter. About how long would you normally grind the grains to get a good flour?
Sorry to hear this. 🙁 You may have old baking powder if it clearly wasn’t rising. This would be my first guess. I don’t use a grain jar, so that shouldn’t matter. I usually grind for 30-40 seconds. Millet is pretty hard. Oats take about 20 seconds. And when you blend wet and dry ingredients, just stir until the dry is incorporated (don’t over stir/mix). This is a dense cake, like a pound cake, but it should not be gooey in the middle after cooling completely. Baking with whole grains is a little trickier for sure.
Thanks so much for the tips! Looking forward to trying it again! Family loved it despite my goofs.
Cathy,
Thank you for your very generous website. The almond poppyseed cake is delicious. You are a purist with a great sense of taste! I have learned so much from your recipes, especially helpful since my husband needs to avoid oil and sugar. I ordered book via Amazon since shipping was otherwise high to Hawaii. Keep up your beautiful mission!
I’ve just baked this for my Xmas cakey treat! It smells divine – didn’t rise much (but you said it doesn’t rise much) – has the nice cracked top. I haven’t cut it yet – saving it for tomorrow – but I’m sure it will taste as divine as it smells! I don’t mind if it’s a bit dense. I won’t be making frosting. All the comments/questions and feedback on here are so useful. Thanks. It’s great to have a cake that I know is so nutritionally good. 🙂
Hi Gill, thanks so much for your comment. 🙂 This is one of my favs! It is dense, like a pound cake, but a lot more interesting flavor-wise.
I have made this cake about a dozen times already, and it is my alltime favorite cake, as it has a ton of flavor without the sugar. I love the taste of the millet. Do you have any other cake recipes using millet?
Also, I have been almost doubling the amount of poppy seeds and lemon zest, in case you want to experiment with that. Thanks for an amazing recipe that I am making a regular in my house.
The Zucchini Bread also has millet. 🙂
Thank you. I just saw your message now since I’m making it again!
One question — just realized that you probably grind up your millet before using in cake, right? I’ve been using it as it and I like the crunchiness! Is it as good when ground up?
Even if you grind it, it’s still somewhat grainy/crunchy, like cornmeal. It’s a more subtle texture. I haven’t tried it un-ground. 🙂
Oh my, I had to comment. I made this cake again this evening. I’ve made it as is and it turned out perfectly. I’ve also played with it in the past year or so because I love the texture so much: orange and cardamom.. lemon.. cinnamon and pecan.. coconut and lime… Subbing out extracts and spices is something i enjoy doing with recipes once i’ve made them *as is* a few times. This is one amazing cake!
Those combos sound great. coconut and lime and orange/cardamom, wow. Must try them.
This was really good! I was nervous that my Vitamix wasn’t fully grinding up the millet, but the crunch was delicious. I didn’t have almond extract and subbed vanilla, which was good, but I’d love to try almond extract next time. The icing is incredible, too!