Description
A rich and comforting British dessert made with a soft, moist date sponge cake soaked in warm buttery toffee sauce and served with creamy vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
200 g pitted dates, chopped
300 ml boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
80 g butter, room temperature
150 g brown sugar
2 large eggs
200 g self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150 g butter (for sauce)
200 g brown sugar (for sauce)
200 ml heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 20 cm square baking pan.
- Place chopped dates in a bowl, pour over boiling water, and stir in baking soda. Let sit for 10 minutes, then mash until mostly smooth.
- In a separate bowl, cream 80 g butter and 150 g brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in the self-rising flour and the prepared date mixture until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
- For the sauce, melt 150 g butter and 200 g brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the cream and boil for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously until thickened.
- Poke holes in the warm cake with a toothpick and pour half of the warm toffee sauce over the cake. Let it soak for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce drizzled on top and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Add a splash of dark rum or 1 teaspoon instant coffee to the sauce for deeper flavor.
Fold in chopped walnuts for added texture.
Divide batter into ramekins for individual servings and reduce baking time slightly.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; keep sauce separate.
Reheat slices in the microwave for 30–40 seconds and warm sauce gently before serving.
Freeze the cake (without sauce) for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
