250g dates, chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
125g Lurpak butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
Toffee Sauce
150g unsalted Lurpak butter, chopped
1 cup or 250ml single (pouring) cream
1½ cups or 265g brown sugar
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a cake pan (7cm deep, 22cm base) and line its base with baking paper. Soak dates and bicarbonate of soda in boiling water. Leave it uncovered for 20 minutes or until dates are tender.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large spoon, stir in date mixture and flour. Mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture into a cake pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
To prepare Toffee Sauce
stir the butter, cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil and cook for 8–10 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
Serve the sauce with the date cake warm or at room temperature. Serves 6–8.
