Chocolate Fondant Date Cake

I love chocolate fondant cake, slightly gooey in the middle with a lovely chocolate flavour. This is a take on it with dates as the sugar base and only 1tbsp of added sugar in the cake mixture. The result is pretty lovely. I used milk chocolate to cover it as it gives just enough sweetness. You could make this gluten free very easily by substituting the flour with almond meal.

Oven at 170C

225g chopped pitted dates

300ml boiling water

1tbsp fine espresso granules (optional)

1tsp bread soda

25g butter

2 eggs separated

1tbsp caster sugar

150gr flour

Cover the dates with the boiling water, add the bread soda, add an optional tbsp fine espresso granules. Leave for a few minutes then blend to a paste and let it cool.

Beat the date paste with the butter, add the egg yolks and beat well. Beat in the flour.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with the sugar until soft and fluffy and well risen.

Fold the egg whites gently into the date mixture, pour into a spring form lined and greased tin and bake for 20 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out just a little sticky in the middle.

Cool and cover with 200g melted milk chocolate whisked with 25g butter.