Chocolate, date and walnut squares- vegan

Note our pretty new cake stand, a Christmas present

We were so sorry when our Christmas cake was all eaten up by New Year's Eve that I felt I

 just had to make something else to take it's place. (This year's Christmas cake- carob and cherry- proved our most popular ever, and rest assured I have photographed it and written the recipe down, but it seems a little late to post about it right now, so I'm thinking of leaving it until next December.) The cake I came up with was version #5, no less, of date and walnut; this time presented in squares and with dark chocolate on top. We think it's our best yet! As the chocolate is the only sugar, you could leave it out for a healthier cake. I made 12 portions from this recipe.

300g wholemeal flour100g millet flour (bajri)

4 tsps baking powder

150ml cold-pressed sunflower oil

400ml strong redbush tea, (made with 4 teabags)

200ml agave nectar

150g chopped dates

100g chopped walnuts

100g sultanas

1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon or cassia

200g vegan dark chocolate

• First make the tea and soak the sultanas in it. (And chop the nuts and dates of you haven't already done so.)
• Mix the dry ingredients together (flours, baking powder, cinnamon, dates and walnuts).
• Mix the tea with sultanas, the oil and the agave in another bowl.
• Beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and spoon into a prepared square tin/ mould.
• Bake at 170C for about 20-25 minutes (use the skewer test- if it comes out clean the cake is done.)
• While the cake is still hot, break the chocolate into squares and spread on top. As it melts, you can spread it evenly over the cake.

Would you still like me to post our Christmas cake or should I wait? Let us know...