Recipe and images courtesy of Rebel Recipes (@rebelrecipes on Instagram)
Rich, fudgy and wonderfully chocolatey, this is a real showstopper of a Christmas dessert. Sweet dates, toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate create a deliciously indulgent torte, topped with silky chocolate ganache, crunchy hazelnuts and a pinch of sea salt. Even better, you can make it ahead, leaving one less thing to think about on Christmas Day.
Serves: 8–10
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30–35 minutes, plus cooling and chilling
Ingredients
For the torte
- 200g pitted dates
- 150ml boiling water
- 150g dark chocolate, approximately 70% cocoa, dairy-free
- 100g thick coconut cream
- 150g hazelnuts, finely ground
- 30g cacao powder
- 80g light soft brown sugar
- 100ml unsweetened oat or soya milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
For the ganache
- 120g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 120g thick coconut cream
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, optional
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round springform cake tin.
- Place the dates in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes to soften, then blend with the soaking water until smooth.
- Melt the dark chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut cream until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground hazelnuts, cacao powder, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Stir the date purée, chocolate and coconut cream mixture, milk and vanilla into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the edges are set but the centre retains a little softness for a fudgy texture.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before carefully removing.
- For the ganache, gently warm the coconut cream until just steaming, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes before stirring until smooth and glossy. Stir in the maple syrup if using.
- Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled torte. Scatter over the toasted hazelnuts and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour, or until the ganache has set, before slicing. Allow to come back towards room temperature before serving for the best fudgy texture.
Cook’s tip: Use the thick coconut cream from a chilled tin of full-fat coconut milk or a tin of coconut cream. Make sure it isn’t cold when adding it to the melted chocolate. This torte is ideal for making the day before serving, allowing the chocolate and hazelnut flavours to develop.
