Sticky date cake with caramel sauce

This gorgeous dessert is has been a favourite for years and it’s no wonder! The cake is a glorious mix of light and fluffy with little bits of sticky date strewn throughout. Perhaps the best thing about this dessert though is the rich caramel source that’s poured generously over the top. Do it while the cake’s still warm so the sauce soaks right into the spongy cake below and then top with cream or a dollop of ice cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups pitted dates, chopped
• 1/3 tsp bicarb soda
• 80g butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1½ cups self-raising flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Caramel sauce

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 100g butter
• ¾ cup single cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180Cand line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Place dates, bicarb soda and butter in a bowl, add the boiling water and leave for 5 minutes.

2. Sift flour into a separate bowl and add sugar. Stir in date mixture and eggs and mix until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

3. To make caramel sauce, place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until combined. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly.

4. Serve the cake with warm caramel sauce. Serves 10 to 12.