Ingredients
1 ¼ cups water
1 ½ cups pitted dates finely chopped
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125 g unsalted butter chopped at room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
vanilla ice-cream to serve
Salted caramel sauce
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups pure cream
75 g unsalted butter chopped room temperature
1 tsp sea salt
Method
- Grease a 19cm x 30cm lamington pan. Line base and all sides with baking paper, extending paper 3cm above pan edges.
- Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat. Stir in dates and soda. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in the small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Mixture may look curdled at this stage.
- Add to date mixture with combined sifted flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth over top.
- Cook in a moderate oven (180°C) for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Stand cake in pan.
- Meanwhile, make salted caramel sauce. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Gently boil for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Using a skewer, gently pierce all over top of hot cake. Pour over 1 cup of hot sauce. Stand for 10 minutes to soak.
- Serve warm cake with ice-cream and remaining sauce.
