Date and tahini loaf- vegan, natural sugar

If you are making a larger cake, why not try filling as well as topping it with the frosting?

This is yet another worthy and respectable wholefood cake; brown and sticky, and quite delicious! The trio of this, Sticky Prune Cake and Ginger Parkin, are quick and easy to make, pretty much as healthy as a cake can be, and perfect Autumnal comfort food with a mug of hot redbush chai or Barleycup, while you sit cosily indoors watching the leaves fall...

400g wholemeal flour, preferably organic
5 tsps baking powder
150g semidried dates (sold in a box as "fresh" in Middle Eastern stores), stoned and chopped
200ml date syrup
400ml rice milk
150ml coconut oil, liquefied
Frosting:
3 tabs date syrup and 3 tabs light tahini, mixed together into a spreadable paste.

• First prepare the dates while the oven preheats.
• Combine the dates, flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine the oil, rice milk and date syrup. You may have to heat it slightly if your kitchen is cold to avoid the oil re-solidifying. Use a balloon whisk.
• Beat the wet ingredients together with the dry until thoroughly mixed.
• Turn into a prepared medium-sized loaf tin/ silicone mould and bake for about 25 minutes at 180C. Use a thin skewer to test whether it's done.
• When the cake has cooled, turn it out of the tin and spread and/ or fill with the frosting. (Don't forget to double the quantities if doing both.) Make the decorative ridges with a fork or the handle of a teaspoon.

The beauty of this cake is that it's really adaptable; you could use ricebran or peanut oil, soya or almond milk, and try adding walnuts as well as dates. If you try any of these, be sure to let me know via the comments below how it turns out!