Chai Latte & Pecan Cake

Soak the cashews in a big bowl of boiling water. If you don’t have a powerful food processor, do this the night before to get the cashews as soft as possible.

Toast the pecans in a large frying pan on medium heat for 4-5 mins, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and toasted. Put a handful to the side for the topping.

Remove the seeds from the dates. Melt the coconut oil if it’s cold and solid. You can do this in a microwave or by placing the glass jar in a bowl of boiling water.

Add the dates, pecans, a tablespoon of coconut oil, a squeeze of agave, a sprinkle of salt, and the oats to the food processor. Pulse until you have a crumb that's combined and even. It should come together into a ball if you squeeze a bit in your hand.

Cut a piece of baking paper the size of your cake tin and lay it into the base of the tin. Pour the date and nut mix into the tin and spread it out as evenly as you can with your hands. Take an offcut of the baking paper and a glass with a flat base. Lay the paper under the cup and use it to push down the mixture so that it is evenly spread. You can use the back of a spoon to press down the edges. Set aside.

Next, make the filling. Drain and rinse the cashews. Add them to the food processor along with the coconut oil, coconut milk, agave and spice mix. Blend until you have a very smooth texture. If your food processor is not powerful or sharp enough and you have a high speed blender, you can use that instead.

Pour this mixture into the cake tin. To get the mix smooth on the top, gently tap the tin on the counter a few times. Take the saved pecans and pick out the nicest ones for the top and chop the rest. Scatter the chopped pecans around the edge and then place the whole ones evenly around the edge too.

Cover the tin with cling film or a plate and place in the freezer to set. It will need at least 4 hours to fully set. Remove it from the freezer to thaw about 25 mins before serving.

You can slice the cake into pieces and keep these in a tupperware in the freezer for up to 3 months.