Cakes Recipes - Chocolate Date Cake

Ingredients

• 200g fromage fraise

• 200g mascarpone

• 5ml vanilla essence, plus few extra drops

• icing sugar, to taste

• 4 egg whites

• 115g caster sugar

• 200g plain chocolate

• 175g Medjool dates, stoned and chopped

• 175g walnuts or pecan nut, chopped

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/3S0'F/Gas 4. Grease and base­line a 20cm/8in springform cake tin.

2. To make the frosting, mix together the fromage frais and mascarpone, add a few drops of vanilla essence and icing sugar to taste, then set aside.

3. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in 30ml/2 tbsp of the caster sugar until the meringue is thick and glossy, then fold in the remainder.

4. Chop 175g/6oz of the chocolate. Carefully fold into the meringue with the dates, nuts and 5ml/l tsp of the vanilla essence. Pour into the prepared tin, spread level and bake for about 45 minutes, until risen around the edges.

5. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then unmould, peel off the lining paper and leave until completely cold. Swirl the frosting over the top of the cake.

6. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Spoon into a small paper piping bag and drizzle the chocolate over the cake. Chill before serving.