Australian Sticky Date Pudding

Australian Sticky Date Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Butter
1/4 cup Whipping cream
1/2 cup Firm packed brown sugar PLUS
1 tb Firm packed brown sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla

Plus extra to butter pan
1 cup Chopped pitted dates
1 ts Baking soda

2 ea Eggs
1 cup All purpose flour
ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla
1/2 ts Baking powder
Directions:

This Australian recipe is a very moist cake, not what you would call a
pudding, is a great favorite for Aussies. You’ll find it on restaurant
and dinner party menus across Australia.

TO PREPARE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round
baking pan with sides at least 2 inches high, such as a spring form pan.

Place the dates in a saucepan and cover with water (about 1-1/2 cups).
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the
baking soda (the mixture will foam) and set aside.

In a bowl, cream the cut up butter, sugar and eggs, adding the eggs
one at a time. Gently mix in the flour, salt and vanilla. Slowly stir
in the baking powder and 1/4 cup of the liquid from cooking the
dates, until the cake mixture resembles thick pancake batter. Drain
off remainder of date cooking liquid and discard. Stir in the dates.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked in the center.

TO PREPARE CARAMEL SAUCE: Combine the butter, whipping cream, brown sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer, and cook for 3 minutes. TO SERVE: Drizzle some of the sauce over the cake as it is cooling. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.