These wonderfully moist little cakes, smothered in sticky caramel sauce, are perfect autumn sweets.
Serves 8
You will need: For the cake: 15 fl oz milk 12 oz pitted dates, coarsely chopped 1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds removed 1 teaspoon baking soda 4 oz softened butter 1 cup super fine sugar 3 eggs 1 1⁄2 cups self-raising flour pinch each of ground allspice and ground cinnamon For the Caramel Sauce: 1 1⁄4 cup sugar 3 fl oz water 6 fl oz heavy cream 2 oz unsalted butter pinch salt
- Combine milk, dates, and vanilla seeds in a saucepan, stir over medium heat, until mixture boils.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and set aside to cool, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line 4”x4”x3” deep round cake tins.
- Place butter and sugar into a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Fold in sifted flour and spices, alternately with date mixture.
- Stir until just combined, spoon into prepared tins, bake for 45–50 minutes, until cakes are golden and spring back when touched in the center.
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, stir over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to a steady boil then cook without stirring until a dark caramel color, about 10–15 minutes.
- Remove from heat immediately and carefully add cream, butter, and salt (be careful as hot caramel will spit), stir until sauce is smooth.
- Set aside to thicken and cool at room temperature.
TIP:
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