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With a deep, caramel richness and a bitter undertone, this cake is an excellent addition to your home baking roster
Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Isobel Clarke. Prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Food styling assistant: Francis Quinn.
With a deep, caramel richness and a bitter undertone, this cake is an excellent addition to your home baking rosterhere’s enough dark chocolate in this gluten-free cake to put it firmly in chocolate cake territory, but the hero flavour comes from the sweet, creamy nuttiness of walnuts, so it’s important to use very fresh ones, because stale walnuts can quickly turn bitter. The dates bring a deep, caramel richness, while the espresso pulls everything back from being overly sweet.
Despite all that richness, the cake is wonderfully light in texture. Serve with creme fraiche and perhaps some poached pears, if you want to turn it into a full-blown dessert. Grease a 20cm cake tin with a removable base, then line it with baking paper. Put the dates in a small bowl, pour over the hot espresso and leave to soften.
Meanwhile, put the nuts in a food processor and process until finely ground, taking care not to overprocess or they will become oily. Tip into a medium bowl, add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, and stir to combine. Without washing the food processor, tip in the soaked date and coffee mix, then process to a smooth puree. Heat the oven to 180C /350F/gas 4.
Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth, then take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high for about three minutes, until thick and pale. Turn down the speed to low, then gradually work in the melted chocolate and butter, followed by the date puree and vanilla. Fold in the walnut mix until combined, then scrape the batter into a large bowl. Thoroughly clean and dry the mixer bowl and whisk attachment.
Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the caster sugar and continue whisking until they form medium peaks. Fold one-third of the meringue into the batter to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest.
Pour the batter into the lined tin, then bake for 55-60 minutes, until the edges are set but the centre still has a slight wobble – a skewer inserted into the centre should emerge with a few moist streaks, rather than be completely clean. Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin, then unclip and transfer to a serving plate. Dust with cocoa powder, then slice and serve.
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