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Mini "Anthill" Cakes with Dates, Banana and Cardamom

Sweet, buttery and crumbly, these chocolate coated mini cakes with dates, banana, apple, cardamom and pine nuts make a delicious treat for your morning cup of tea or coffee!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g butter divided
  • 100 g sour cream
  • 200 g flour
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 250 g medjool dates pitted
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 apple cut into small cubes
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp roasted pine nuts
  • 200g milk chocolate
  • a splash of milk

Instructions
 

For the dough:

  • Melt 100g butter in a sauce pot until liquid.
  • Combine the melted butter with 200g flour, 100g sour cream and 1/3 tsp salt.
  • Spread the dough on a baking tray in an even layer about 7mm thick.
  • Bake in the preheated oven at 190C for 10-15 minutes until browned on the bottom.
  • Flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • The dough is ready when its hardened and breaks easily.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool, then break into smaller parts.
  • Place the dough parts into a zip lock and beat with a meat tenderizer. Crush into different sized pieces from slightly bigger one to almost dust. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

For the cake:

  • Take 25g butter out of the fridge and leave at room temperature to soften.
  • Blitz medjool dates and the banana to a smooth paste using a hand blender.
  • Add the paste, diced apple, 2 tsp ground cardamom and 1 tbsp roasted pine nuts to the bowl with dough crumbs.
  • Mix with your hands to incorporate all ingredients into a crumbly mixture.
  • Form balls approximately 3cm in diameter.

For the coating:

  • Melt 200g milk chocolate in a sauce pan (you can use the one from butter).
  • Add splash of milk and stir.
  • Once the chocolate fully dissolves, check for consistency and add more milk if too thick.

To finish:

  • Use tongs to dip the mini cake balls into the chocolate sauce.
  • Arrange on a plate in a single layer and fill any gaps in the coating with a silicon brush.
  • Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Notes

  • This version skips sugar because the sweetness from medjool dates, banana, cardamom and the chocolate coating is plenty.
  • You can save yourself some hassle by molding the cake into a mound and pouring the chocolate sauce over. Refrigerate and slice when ready to enjoy.
  • The cake can last in the fridge for 3-4 days.