Chocolate Almond Orange & Date Cake

Ingredients

¾ cup Cinderella Dates, diced
Zest from ½ orange
¼ cup fresh orange juice
150g butter
¾ cup dark cocoa (gluten free)
4 (No 7) eggs, separated
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups Cinderella Almond Meal
1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
Cocoa powder or icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (conventional bake). Grease and line the base of a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, add diced dates, orange zest and orange juice. Set aside to soak.
3. Melt butter and stir in sifted cocoa until smooth. Set aside.
4. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Add the soaked dates with juice, almond meal, baking powder and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 2 spoonfuls into the cake mix to loosen the mixture. Fold in the remaining whisked egg whites, being careful not to overmix.
6. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The cake will have pulled away from the sides of the tin and will still be soft in the centre, when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack. When cold, dust with cocoa or icing sugar. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream or yoghurt on the side, if wished.

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