Dark Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Torte With Mascarpone

A rich flourless cake that is totally lush

Everyone needs a solid flour-free cake in their arsenal for when those people with dietary requirements (who DOESN’T love a dietary requirement?!) come into our lives!

To be honest, I adore this cake in its own right regardless of its magical gluten-free properties. It’s a very throw-together recipe with minimal washing up (no doubt we are all by now familiar with my absolute obsession vis-a-vis the dishes and needless bowl-usage that plagues so many recipes). It’s also such an unusual cake with most of the sweetness coming from the dates and a gorgeous nuttiness from the macadamias, plus BONUS, I have genuinely never ever managed to fuck it up!

Dark Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Torte With Mascarpone

Makes 10-12 slices

200g dark chocolate

200g pitted dates

200g macadamia nuts

5 egg whites

90g caster sugar

3 tbsps icing sugar and lots of berries for decorating

Mascarpone or cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°FAN and line a cake tin with baking paper. I used a 22cm one but a smaller one could also work for a slightly thicker torte.

Place the chocolate, dates and macadamia nuts into a food processor and roughly blitz them up. You don’t want the mix to be too fine, it’s good if the nuts are still fairly chunky like below.

In a clean, dry bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff then add the sugar and keep whisking for a further three-five minutes. Pinch a little of the mix between your thumb and forefinger to check that there’s no graininess and that the sugar is all dissolved.

Stir about a third of the egg white mix through the nuts, dates and chocolate to loosen up the mix, you can still keep it all in the food processor container for this bit, no need to use another bowl (yes, I am obsessed). Then add this back into the bowl with the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in until it’s evenly incorporated.

Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin, spread evenly and place in the oven.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 200°FAN until golden and somewhat firm. Cool in the tin before serving.

Dust with icing sugar, top with berries and serve with a generous dollop of mascarpone or whipped cream.