Sticky Date Pudding

I always curious with this cake, and i never try it before until i saw date fruit on the market that i went to on Friday last week.

In my home town, this fruit only available only on Ramadan, and people just eat them right away, so i felt challenged to make this pudding/cake, in my mind i kept thinking "it must be taste strange", but i was wrong, in fact I'm addicted to it now!. So yummy and the date become soft, even the skin, that's because the bicarbonate soda added to the soaking process.

This surely my new favorite cake, especially my hubby like it too, so we won't waste any piece, like i used to do with other left over cake, i wanna eat them for breakfast, snack and dessert too, ha ha... I bet you'll do it to if you try it!!.

Sticky Date Pudding

Ingredients:

• 250g pitted dates, chopped
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups Self-Raising Flour, sifted
  

Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60g butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan.
2. Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.
5. Make sauce Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.

Source: Super Food Ideas - July 2004 , Page 49