1-Prepping the Oven and Dates: First, preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced) to get it nice and hot. This step ensures even baking for that perfect moist texture. Next, grab 280g of roughly chopped dates and mix them with 1 tsp baking soda in 1 cup of boiling water. Let them soak for 10 minutes until they soften up, then mash them smooth for the batter.

2-Mixing the Batter: Now, in a bowl, beat 80g of softened unsalted butter with 1/4 cup of loosely packed brown sugar until it’s all smooth and creamy. Add in 2 room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of plain flour and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder gently to avoid lumps. Once that’s combined, fold in the mashed dates along with their soaking water. This step brings in that signature stickiness and flavor. For a large pudding, pour the batter into a lined 20 cm (8”) square pan and bake for 35 minutes. If you’re making individual puddings, fill greased molds about two-thirds full and bake for 25 minutes.

3-Adding the Sauce and Serving: Right after baking, poke holes in the hot pudding about 40 for a large one or 10 for each small one. This helps the sauce soak in and keeps everything moist. Spoon over the butterscotch sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb. To make the sauce, melt 70g unsalted butter with 1 cup tightly packed brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups thickened cream over medium heat, simmer for 2 minutes, then take it off the heat and stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Serve your Sticky Date Pudding warm with extra sauce and a scoop of ice cream or cream on the side.