For the ingredients, make sure you have:
250g pitted dates, chopped roughly or into chunks, whatever you like
(With mine, I chop half into tiny pieces and the other half into chunks so you can still chew on some of the chunks.)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
125g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs (preferably not from the fridge for smoother mixing)
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted
For the caramel sauce, we need:
1 cup brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g butter
Everything ready? Let's begin!
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan.
Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water and stand for 20-30 minutes to soften the dates.
Now, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, using a spatula, fold through date mixture and flour until everything is well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.
Now, for the caramel sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens a little bit.
If you want to serve the pudding immediately, pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding and stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and pour the remaining sauce into each slice. You can serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to make it more enjoyable.
Here's a tip:
I always keep caramel sauce in the fridge 'cause it always comes in handy on any desserts. As long as you store the sauce in an airtight jar, it can last up to 2-3 months and just re-heat it whenever you need some.
Cook with ♥,
Tami
Recipe from taste. Tried different sticky date recipes but this one is by far the best.
