Sticky Date Cake With Butterscotch Sauce
Have a dessert experience like no other with this homemade sticky date cake, made of actual dates combined with butter, eggs, nuts and more. We amp up the indulgence with a pour of our amazing butterscotch sauce – no words can describe how everything comes together, topped off with a dollop of ice-cold vanilla ice cream. Yum.
Yield:
Prep Time: mins
Cook Time: mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Ingredients
- 3¾ cups (600 g) coarsely chopped dates
- 3 cups (750 ml) water
- 2 tsps bicarbonate of soda
- 180 g butter, softened
- 2¼ cup (450 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 6 eggs, beaten lightly
- 3 cups (450 g) self-raising flour
- ½ cup (60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
- ½ cup (60 g) coarsely chopped pecans
BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
- 2 cups (400 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 600 ml thickened cream
- 375 g butter, chopped coarsely
Steps
01. Preheat the oven to moderate (180 C/160 C fan-forced). Grease a 25 cm x 35 cm rectangular baking dish. Line base and sides with baking paper, bringing paper 5 cm above edges of dish.
02. Combine dates and water in a medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add soda; stand for 5 mins. Blend or process until smooth.
03. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined between each addition. Stir in the sifted flour and date mixture.
04. Spread into prepared pan; sprinkle evenly with the nuts. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hr or until cooked when tested. Stand cake for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rack.
05. Meanwhile, to make butterscotch sauce; combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, stirring, for 3 mins.
06. Brush surface of hot cake with ¼ cup of butterscotch sauce, then serve with remaining sauce.
TIP
This recipe can be made two days ahead. Close to serving, wrap cake in foil and warm through in a moderately slow oven for approximately 20 mins, or microwave individual servings. Suitable to freeze. Butterscotch sauce suitable to microwave.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au