This Queen Elizabeth Cake recipe has been in my family for decades. It’s probably one of the most unique cakes you will ever have. I had to look this one up but apparently, this cake is named after Queen Elizabeth II. Go figure.
It may have originated in 1953 for the coronation of Elizabeth II, and another account holds that it was invented for the 1937 coronation of King George VI and the Queen Mother Queen Elizabeth.
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What are Dates
A date is a sweet fruit used in a variety of recipes. They also provide a wide variety of essential nutrients. Besides being a very good source of Potassium, dates also provide protein and fiber.
If you love dates, you must try my Date Squares recipe. They were one of my dad’s favorite desserts when I was growing up. Super easy to make and super delicious.
While you are here I suggest you check out all my other delicious Canadian Recipes. Some of the recipes are new while others are well over 50 years old but they all originated in Canada.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Queen Elizabeth Cake recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Dates, Unsalted Butter, White Sugar, Eggs, Olive Oil, All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Walnuts Light Brown Sugar, Milk and Shredded Coconut.
How to Make Queen Elizabeth Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour boiling water over the dates and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, add eggs, then dates including water. Add the rest of the ingredients including the walnuts and mix them together.
- Pour into a greased baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Boil all frosting ingredients for 3 minutes over medium heat. When the cake is done take it out of the oven and spread the frosting mixture over the cake. Put the cake back in the oven for 10 minutes at 375°F degrees until brown.
Queen Elizabeth Cake
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Ingredients
CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Dates , Chopped
- 1 Cup Water, boiling
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour, Sifted
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Walnuts, Chopped
FROSTING INGREDIENTS
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 5 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp Milk
- ½ Cup Coconut, Shredded
Instructions
MAKE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour boiling water over dates and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, add eggs, then dates including water. Add the rest of the ingredients including the walnuts and mix together.
- Pour into greased baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
MAKE FROSTING
- Boil all frosting ingredients for 3 minutes over medium heat. When cake is done take out of oven and spread frosting mixture over cake. Put cake back in oven for 10 minutes at 375°F degrees until brown.
Notes
My mother used to make this growing up-and now I do too. Love it!!
I’ve never felt like I cared much for dates before, but this cake changed that for me. I was surprised how much I loved this cake. Thank you for this little gem, I’ve had it several times now and I just love it.
Love this cake so much!
I would love to make this cake, however, can I make make these as individual small cake to give away as gifts
and if you can recommend would i need to change anything.
cheers..Lorraine
The only thing I would suggest is watching the cook times. Depending on how small your pans are they may require less time to bake. Enjoy!
Do they have to dried dates ?
Beautiful and moist cake. My husband and neighbour love it so much. In future I might double the topping.
I used a 9×9 glass pan and it turned out perfect.
Please specify pan size.
I use a 9-inch pan for this cake. A round one to be specific. The batter will fill it to the brim.
Do you let the date/water cool down before adding it to the flour mixture?
Just the time it takes to cream the butter, sugar and eggs but letting it cool longer will not hurt anything. Enjoy!