Boil the milk and soak the dates in it for 20-30 minutes.This will make them soft and will make the cake very soft.
Preheat an oven to 175 degrees C and grease a size loaf pan with butter or oil and sprinkle some flour on it.
In a bowl add wholewheat flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and mix well.
Add the milk- dates mixture and mix well
Add oil and vanilla and just mix until combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick. Add any nuts or seeds on top if desired.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake it for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and take out after it is cool. If you slice the cake while it is still warm, it tends to break
