A rich loaf that’s so moist it doesn’t need to be buttered. The dates give the cake a lovely texture and toffee flavour.
Cake tin needed: a 900g (2lb) loaf tin
150g (5oz) stoned dried dates
150ml (¼ pint) boiling water
150g (5oz) plain chocolate (39 per cent cocoa solids)
40g (1½oz) butter, softened
150g (5oz) Brazil nuts
225g (8oz) plain flour
40g (1½oz) caster sugar
1 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 large egg
150ml (¼ pint) milk
demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Step one Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease the tin then line the base with non-stick baking parchment.
Step two Roughly chop the dates and place in a small bowl. Pour over the boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Break up the chocolate and melt with the butter in a small bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Roughly chop the Brazil nuts and reserve about two tablespoons for decoration.
Step three Mix together the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and milk and beat this into the dry ingredients, adding the nuts, dates and their soaking liquid, and the chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin, level the surface and sprinkle over the reserved nuts along with the demerara sugar.
Step four Bake for about 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil towards the end of the cooking time if the cake is becoming too brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.