I love a good sticky toffee pudding, don’t you? This date cake evolved from a sticky toffee pudding with a few substitutions. This is a recipe that we have worked on since our last family get-together (Family supper club). It is wonderfully moist and spongey with a familiar toffee flavour. We like it best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but it’s also great served plain as an afternoon treat for coffee (or tea) time. Feel free to omit the asian inclusions if you don’t have them on hand, but we thought they made a really nice pairing.

Ingredients:

• 175g dates, pitted and chopped
• 350ml water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 50g butter, softened
• 175g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 175g pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 100g gingko nuts
• 12g goji berries (roughly 2 Tbsp), soaked in water until soft (about 10 minutes) then drained

Tools Required:

• small pot (2L)
• large stainless steel bowl
• 8″ x 8″ Square baking pan, lined with parchment
• whisk/ spatula
• stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Put dates in a small pot with water and bring it to a boil, then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Set aside to let cool slightly.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly incorporate the eggs into the butter/sugar mixture a little at a time.
5. Add warm date mixture.
6. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a big stainless steel bowl.
7. Pour warm batter into sifted flour mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined.
8. Fold in goji berries and gingko.
9. Pour batter into 8″ x 8″ square baking pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Variations:

• serve with toffee sauce and chopped walnuts

FAQs, Tips, Troubleshooting:

• When incorporating eggs, make sure the egg mixture is well incorporated into the butter/sugar mixture before the next addition.
• Depending on oven timing will be different, the cake should have an internal temperature of 210°F?