Photography: James Moffatt / Styling: Steve Pearce
As coffee cakes go, this one is pretty delicious and it is the perfect thing to serve for a special morning tea with friends. Not only that it’s almost healthy as it’s packed with dates. It also uses hazelnut meal instead of flour so it’s gluten-free.
Hot espresso coffee is used to soften the dates that are combined with bicarbonate of soda. This is then whizzed up in the food processor. You then combine egg yolks and sugar before adding in the date mixture along with hazelnut meal. Then the egg whites are whisked with the sugar and folded through. It’s then ready for the oven. While it’s cooking you can start making the coffee butterscotch to be spread on top. Yum!
For more coffee desserts, check out this boiled chocolate and coffee cake, easy tiramisu or chocolate espresso fudge puddings.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a 24cm round tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the dates, bicarbonate of soda and coffee in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. Transfer to a small food processor and process until smooth.
Place the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 7 minutes or until pale and thick. Add the date mixture and hazelnut meal and fold to combine.
Place the egg whites and remaining sugar in a clean bowl of the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg white mixture into the date mixture in 4 batches. Spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes or until just a few crumbs are attached when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
Meanwhile, to make the coffee butterscotch, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 7–8 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from the heat, carefully add the butter, cream and coffee and carefully stir to combine. Return to high heat and stir until smooth. Allow to cool at room temperature.
Place the cake on a cake stand or plate and spread with the butterscotch to serve.
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