serves
8-10
prep
20 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
8-10
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 8 free-range egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 250 g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 250 g blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
- 250 g dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g caster sugar
- 30 g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- Pure icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 22 cm-diameter springform cake tin and line with baking paper.
- Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
- Add the chocolate, almonds, dates, vanilla and sugar and carefully fold through with a wooden spoon.
- Sift in the flour and the baking powder and fold through.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then tap the tin on the bench to let the mixture settle. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake feels firm yet slightly springy in the centre.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, then dust with icing sugar and serve.
Recipe from 10 Old-School Dessert Recipes with Tobie Puttock (from Tobie Puttock Videocook Series, Penguin).
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
