Mornings just got a whole lot sweeter! Enjoy this delicious breakfast date loaf with cardamom cheese for a delicious start to the day.

SERVES 10–12 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
For the cardamom cheese
5 tbsp water
5 tbsp sugar,
2 cardamom pods
¼ tsp ground cardamom
250 g cream cheese
For the date loaf
2 cups chopped Medjool dates
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
3 eggs
125 g butter, softened
2 cups cake flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup chopped almonds
2 tbsp muscovado sugar
2 tbsp slivered almonds

METHOD
For the cardamom cheese
1. Boil water, sugar, cardamom pods and cardamom for 5 minutes, until a syrup forms. Let cool.
2. Whip cream cheese until smooth.
3. Fold through syrup and refrigerate until needed.
For the date loaf
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place the dates, bicarb and salt in a bowl. Add the boiling water and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Strain.
3. Lightly beat eggs until frothy. Add butter and beat until thick.
4. Sift the flours together. Then fold into the egg mixture. Fold in dates and chopped almonds.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and sprinkle with muscovado sugar and slivered almonds. Bake for 40 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before removing baking paper. Slice and serve with cardamom cream cheese.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za