Ingredients:
Serves 6
For the toffee sauce:
100g Butter ( plus a little extra for greasing)
100g Soft dark brown sugar
2 tblsp Black treacle
1 tblsp Golden syrup
100ml Water
300ml Double cream
For the sponge:
225g Chopped Dates
175ml Boiling water
1 tsp Vanilla essence
175g Self raising flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate soda
2 Eggs
85g Butter, softened
140g Soft dark brown sugar
2 tblsp Black treacle
100 ml Whole milk
Method:
For the toffee sauce:
- Place the butter, sugar, treacle, golden syrup and water in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil vigorously for one minute before adding the cream. Simmer for two more minutes before removing from the heat.
For the sponge:
- Pour the boiling water onto the chopped dates and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
- Puree the dates and water together using a stick blender or food processor. If you have neither of these you can squash the dates using a potato masher or your hands.
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) gas mark 4.
- Take a dish roughly 30 cm x 20 cm and lightly grease with cold butter.
- Pour about a quarter of the toffee sauce into the bottom of the dish.
- In a bowl beat the butter with the brown sugar, vanilla essence and black treacle until whipped and light.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously.
- Sift the flour and bicarbonate into the bowl and beat into the mix.
- Add the milk slowly, mixing to incorporate.
- Fold in the date puree until everything is smooth and evenly mixed.
- Spoon the sponge mix into the dish on top of the toffee sauce so that it fills two thirds of the way up the sides.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the sponge.
- When removed from the oven pour another layer of the hot toffee sauce over the top of the sponge and allow to stand for ten minutes before serving. If you want to reheat, cover the dish with tight fitting tin foil and place in a warm oven until hot.
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