‘Showstopper’ chocolate date and nut cake recipe – perfect for sharing

Tired of thinking about what to make when it comes to dessert?

Well, if you’re looking to impress your loved ones with your baking skills then we may have a recipe for you.

This recipe comes from author and writer Dr Joan Ransley and is an easy-to-bake, showstopper chocolate cake with a prune, date and nut twist.

The dish has ground almonds instead of flour and has no added sugar. It serves four to six people and is best enjoyed with a mid-morning cuppa.

It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and a quick 25 minutes to bake.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175°C Fan/Gas mark 5. Roughly chop the dates and prunes. Place in a bowl together with the orange juice and zest and mix well.

Next, transfer the dates and prunes to the bowl of a food processor and add the ground almonds, eggs, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and butter. Process for one minute and then stop and scrape around the bowl of the food processor to ensure even mixing.

Add the roughly chopped dark chocolate. Process the mixture for another 30 seconds until well combined.

Scrape the mixture into a lined 17cm (7in) loose-bottom cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until firm to touch. Let the cake cool slightly before removing it from the cake tin.

Serve the chocolate cake with a pile of fresh raspberries, crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt.

As an alternative serving suggestion, slices of this cake would be delicious served with a compote of dark cherries or a portion of defrosted frozen cherries.

By the way, this recipe also works well with 250g of soft dates or any combination of dates and or prunes. To store the cake, place it in an airtight tin or container, and leave it in a cool place.