Salted honey date cake

1 HOUR 35 MINUTES + COOLING SERVES 12 | EASY

Move over salted caramel, there’s a new flavour combo in town.

whole milk 300ml

blocked stoned dates 250g, roughly chopped (or you can use whole pitted dates)

bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp

unsalted butter 150g, plus extra for the tin

light muscovado sugar 150g

treacle 25g

runny honey 100g

vanilla extract 1 tsp

eggs 2 large

plain flour 300g

mixed spice ½ tsp

greek yogurt to serve (optional)

SALTED HONEY SAUCE

granulated sugar 200g

runny honey 125g

whipping cream 250ml

unsalted butter 50g, cubed

sea salt flakes 2 tsp

• Heat the milk in a pan until just steaming. Take off the heat and stir in the chopped dates and bicarb, then stand for 20 minutes to soften the dates.

• In another pan, gently heat the butter, sugar, treacle, honey and vanilla extract, stirring, until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes.

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and butter a deep 22-23cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Whizz the milky dates and melted butter mixture in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Pulse in the eggs, followed by the flour with the mixed spice and a pinch of salt. When the batter is smooth, scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour until the cake is firm to touch and a skewer poked into the centre comes out with only sticky crumbs. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and onto a serving plate.

• To make the sauce, melt the sugar and honey in a pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, swirling every 30 seconds or so until the syrup becomes caramel coloured. Take straight off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, followed by the butter. Simmer back on the heat for 1-2 minutes to ensure everything is combined, then add the salt and cool to room temperature.

• Serve the cake just-warm or at room temperature. Lift onto a serving plate with enough space for the sauce to flood. Poke a few holes over the top to help absorption, then slowly pour the salted honey sauce over the whole cake to cover. Serve in wedges, with the rest of the sauce and full-fat greek yogurt on the side, if you like.

PER SERVING 563 KCALS | FAT 24.4G SATURATES 14.9G | CARBS 78.6G | SUGARS 59.4G FIBRE 2.1G | PROTEIN 6G | SALT 1.4G