Sticky toffee pudding with hot toffee sauce

Pudding

• 225g chopped dates
• 300ml hot tea
• 110g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules

For hot toffee sauce

• 110g butter
• 175g dark brown soft sugar
• 110g granulated sugar
• 300g golden syrup
• 250ml single cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Chop dates finely and soak in tea for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Prepare and line a 20cm (8 in) round cake tin.
3. Cream butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture.
4. Add bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and espresso to the dates and tea. Combine both mixtures to produce a loose soft dropping consistency.
5. Turn into the prepared tin and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until skewer comes out clean.To make the toffee sauce:
6. Put the butter, sugars and golden syrup into a heavy based saucepan and melt gently on a low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the cream and vanilla extract. Return to heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is smooth.
7. Pour a little sauce onto a serving dish. Place a portion of the pudding on top and pour over more sauce.
8. Pour remaining sauce into a jug to serve, along with softly whipped cream.

From the UK