Sweet Treats - Sticky Toffee Date Cake

Part of Rosalilium's fabulous Blognix day was a cake competition. Now I knew I wouldn't have any chance of winning but I thought I'd take along one anyway to add to the indoor picnic.

 

I chose to make a Sticky Toffee Date Cake, a cake I've made several times before and although it doesn't look very pretty, it does taste good.

 

 

Sticky Toffee Date Cake

 

For the cake

8 oz dates, de-stoned and chopped

10 fl oz boiling water 

4 oz butter, softened

6 oz caster sugar 

3 eggs, at room temperature and beaten

8 oz plain flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

3 drops vanilla essence

 

For the topping

3 oz soft brown sugar

2 oz butter

9 teaspoons double cream

 

Although there's two packets of dates in the photo, you actually only need one!

 

 

Switch the oven on to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4. Then the first job is to de-stone and chop the dates, pop them in a dish and cover with the boiling water.

Whilst they're soaking, cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, and fold in the flour and cinnamon.

Add the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence to the date and water mixture then pour the whole lot onto the creamed butter, sugar, eggs and flour mixture.

Mix it up and pour it into a greased and lined cake tin about 9 inches across and you have a not-very inspiring creamy goo!

 

Pop it in the oven for about an hour until risen and firm.

While the cake is cooling, take the topping ingredients and put in a saucepan to all heat gently together. When everything has dissolved, bring to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes.

 

 

Leaving the cake in it's tin, pour the topping mixture over the cake and place under the grill until it's golden and bubbling (this won't take very long).

 

 

Leave to cool (I left mine overnight) then carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the tin.

So there you go, as I said, it's not the prettiest cake in the world but if you want a cake that tastes just like Sticky Toffee Pudding then this fits the bill!

(Plus I reckon you can claim it's healthy - it's got dates in it and everyone knows they're good for you...)