Sticky Toffee Pudding / Date cake

After the end of Ramadan, the amount of dates that had accumulated in my apartment was ridiculous. So it was either throw them out (bad idea) or live a guilt free life, and do something creative with them. So I decided to make a nice Sticky Toffee Pudding which proved a hit with the people at work. Naturally I had requests for more :)

what you will need:

225g fresh dates (stones removed)

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda85g butter (room temperature)170g caster sugar2 large eggs170g self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Ovaltine OR (coco powder)
2 tablespoons natural yogurt
For the toffee sauce
115g unsalted butter
115g light muscovado sugar
140ml double cream / nestle thick cream (Qishta)
While the cake is cooking, make the toffee sauce by putting the butter, sugar and cream in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour.
While the cake is cooking, make the toffee sauce by putting the butter, sugar and cream in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.

Put the dates in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with 200ml of boiling water for 5 minutes to allow them to soften, then drain. 

Blotz the dates in a food processor to make a date paste. 

Cream together your butter and sugar, then add and mix in the eggs, flour,  cinnamon and Ovaltine/ coco powder. Then fold in the yogurt and your date paste.

Pour into a prepared ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes.

To serve, spoon out the pudding at the table and pour over the toffee sauce. Ooooh Mama ;)