Preheat fan oven to 150 degrees C. 300 degrees F. Line an 8 inch springform tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides. Use a little extra butter or cooking spray to make it stick to the sides if necessary.
Make the chocolate Fudge: Add butter and vanilla to a pot on medium heat. Stir for a couple of minutes until butter is soft and melted. Add in the cocoa powder, and stir in with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
Blitz: Add the dates (seeds removed), maple syrup, and chocolate fudge mixture to a food processor. Blitz on high until smooth.
Move: Transfer chocolate fudge mixture to a large mixing bowl, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Fluff up the Eggs: Add all the eggs to another large bowl, along with the granulated sweetener. Use Electric hand beaters to beat the eggs and sweetener together for 5 to 7 minutes. It should triple in volume, become fluffy, bubbly, pale and creamy.
Mix The Batter Together: Add half of the egg mixture into the chocolate fudge mixture. Use a spatula to mix together. Add the almond meal and remaining egg mixture, and fold through with the spatula until combined.
Pour cake into tin: scrape down the edges of the bowl with the spatula to get all the cake bater into the bowl
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes in fan oven to 150 degrees C. 300 degrees F. Cake ill continue to cook a little once removed from the oven. If you poke a skewer into the centre of the cake, it may not come out clean, and this is a fudgy cake with a moist centre. Remove ake from tin after 10 minutes, cover and cool on a wire rack.
Frosting: Mix softened cream cheese and ricotta together in food processor until smooth. Add sweetener, cocao powder and vanilla, and blitz for another minute. Move frosting into a bowl. Use a blunt knife to spread the frosting generously over the top of the cake.
Storage: Store cake in an air tight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 5 days. Alternatively you can freeze the cake (without frosting) for upto 2 months.