Flourless date and walnut cake

Line a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper and pre-heat your oven to 180°C (note: it’s always better to cook cakes on a conventional setting, but if yours is only fan-forced, drop it down to 160°C fan).

In a food processor, dump the walnuts and cinnamon. Pulse together to a rough crumb-like texture, you don’t want to make walnut flour so don’t get too trigger-happy.

You’ll need 2 medium-sized bowls here, 1 for the egg yolks and 1 for the egg whites. If you have a stand mixer, use the silver bowl here to pop the egg whites into.

First separate the eggs into their respective bowls. Pop your whisk attachment onto the mixer and whisk your egg whites until soft peaks form - about 3-5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, hand beater works a treat as well.

For your egg yolks add the honey, salt, and vanilla and whisk vigorously until smooth and runny. If you have firm or crystalised honey, gently melt it so it can easily whisk in. You’ll want to let the warmed honey cool before adding to the eggs, as otherwise they’ll cook.

Combine the yolk mixture, dates and walnuts, then fold in the egg whites very gently, using figure-eight motions. Don’t over-mix as you’ll lose the air in the batter.

Gently pour the batter into your lined cake tin pop into your pre-heated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool before removing from the tin.

Make your ganache by mixing the chocolate and the butter together. You can melt either on a low heat setting in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove.

Ensure the cake is completely cooled before spreading with the ganache, otherwise it will melt everywhere and not stick to the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining ground walnuts.

Store in an airtight container out of the fridge, it will last 2-3 days.