Cakes and Cupcakes
Chocolate, date and coffee cake
This simple chocolate, date and coffee cake with chocolate glaze will satisfy all your chocolate/coffee cravings! I have had a
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 50 minutes
- Total 1 hour
Photographing food has become very complicated with a puppy around – and photographing chocolate which is toxic to dogs was definitely a dangerous sport! But it has put a stop to me taking dozens of photos of the same dish – sometimes less is more, especially if your props start disappearing only to be paraded gleefully around the house by a proud naughty pup. Brutus has even gnawed on the tripod to show me his displeasure at not paying attention to him 100% of the time which, clearly, is my job. Fingers crossed the puppy crazies settle down soon!
Recipe
Chocolate, date and coffee cake
An easy cake to satisfy your chocolate and coffee cravings. Serve with a cup of strong coffee.
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 50 minutes
- Total 1 hour
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) water
- 7 oz (200g) pitted dates (chopped small)
- 5 ¼ oz (150g) plain (all purpose flour)
- 5 ¼ oz (150g) superfine sugar ((= caster sugar))
- 2 oz (60g) unsalted butter
- 4 oz (125g) ground almonds
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp baking soda ((= bicarbonate of soda))
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cold brew coffee (or 1 tbsp espresso granules)
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
- pinch salt
- Chocolate glaze
- 5 ¼ oz (150g) plain (dark chocolate, chopped small)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100ml) heavy cream ((= double cream))
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- cocoa nibs or edible flowers to decorate (optional)
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a springform cake tin with butter. Line the bottom with paper, grease and dust with flour. Shake out any excess.
- 2
Put the water, coffee and dates in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat, transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda – the mixture will froth up a little.
- 3
Beat the butter and sugar with a stand or hand mixer until pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- 4
Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and then add the date mixture. Fold everything together until batter is smooth.
- 5
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and level. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before carefully removing from the tin.
- 6
Stir all the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan over low heat until smooth and glossy and pour over the cake letting it drip down the sides.
- 7
Recipe adopted from Indulgent Cakes.
