Chocolate Date Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting
found in Baking - Cakes
 | 7 SPs |  | Vegetarian |  | Nut Free |
|
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Difficulty:
Difficult
It sounds unbelievable, but sweet potato is what makes this frosting rich and creamy. Trust us, it works like a charm.
Ingredients
- 100g low-fat spread
- 200g fresh dates, halved
- 50g cocoa powder
- 3 eggs
- 200g flour (self raising)
- 11⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 100ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g sweet potato, cooked
- 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 50g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
- 4 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp orange juice
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C (fan oven) / 360°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a rectangular cake tin with baking paper.
2
Put the dates in a heatproof bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to soak for 30 minutes until softened. Drain then blitz in a food processor until smooth.
3
In a small bowl, blend the cocoa powder with 6 tbsp boiling water to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the spread and beat together until smooth. Add the date puree and continue to beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and gently fold until just combined. Finally, fold in the milk and vanilla extract.
4
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for 45 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch, the cake should be just shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
5
To make the frosting, heat the sweet potato and both types of chocolate in a pan set over a low heat, stirring continually until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and combined. Transfer to a food processor, add the orange zest and juice and blitz until smooth.
6
Spoon into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Spread the frosting over the cake to decorate, then slice and serve.
