For the cake

200ml boiling water

100g butter, room temp

175g light brown sugar

2 eggs

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp treacle

200 grams chopped dates

double cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

60 g walnuts, roughly chopped

For the sauce

100g butter

125g brown sugar

1 tbsp treacle

300ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla

60g walnuts, roughly chopped

equipment

oven safe baking dish

INSTRUCTIONS

cake

1. Preheat oven to 356 F

2. Prep a oven proof dish with butter- set aside

3. Place the chopped dates, baking soda & the boiling water into a bowl - set aside for about 10 minutes

4. In a stand mixer or electric whisk, cream the butter and treacle together. Once well mixed, add sugar & beat again.

5. Add the eggs one by one- mixing thoroughly between.

6. Turn the mixer speed down, slowly add flour and baking powder & beat until smooth.

7. Using the back of a fork- smash the dates slightly then pour the dates & the liquid into the batter & mix.

8. Pour batter into the prepared dish & bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Immediately after coming out of the oven- poke holes (using a toothpick or a fork) in the cooked sponge

10. Pour about 1/4 of the warm sauce over the sponge, and using an offset spatula or spoon, evenly spread it across until it’s entirely coated with the sauce

11. Set aside for 20-30 minutes, then serve with chopped walnuts, more sauce & ice cream.

    
    

sauce

1. In small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with brown sugar & treacle - mix until everything is melted & combined

2. Stir in the cream, turn up the heat to medium/high & when the mixture starts bubbling - take it off the heat & set aside

adapted from

this recipe & this recipe