Kevin’s fruit and nut torte

Tobie Puttock shares his father's recipe for this simple dessert, studded with fruit and pockets of chocolate.

Kevin’s Fruit and Nut Torte Credit: Lyndey Milan's Baking Secrets

• serves

  8-10

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 8 free-range egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 250 g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 250 g blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
• 250 g dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 300 g caster sugar
• 30 g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• Pure icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 22 cm-diameter springform cake tin and line with baking paper.
 
2. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
 
3. Add the chocolate, almonds, dates, vanilla and sugar and carefully fold through with a wooden spoon.
 
4. Sift in the flour and the baking powder and fold through.
 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then tap the tin on the bench to let the mixture settle. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake feels firm yet slightly springy in the centre.
 
6. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then dust with icing sugar and serve.

 

Recipe from 10 Old-School Dessert Recipes with Tobie Puttock (from Tobie Puttock Videocook Series, Penguin).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.