Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES

1¾ cups (250g) coarsely chopped seeded dried dates 1¼ cups (310ml) water

1 teaspoon baking soda

60g butter

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

1 cup (220g) firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup (250ml) cream

200g butter

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease deep 20cm round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2 Combine dates and the water in medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add soda; stand 5 minutes. Blend or process mixture until smooth.

3 Beat butter, sugar and one of the eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining egg (mixture will curdle at this stage, but will come together later). Stir in sifted flour then date mixture.

4 Pour mixture into pan; bake about 55 minutes. Stand pudding 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack over oven tray; turn pudding top-side up. 5 Meanwhile, make Butterscotch Sauce. 6 Pour ¼ cup sauce over pudding. Return pudding to moderate oven; bake, uncovered, further 5 minutes. Serve pudding with remaining sauce.

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE Stir ingredients in medium saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes.

Test Kitchen tip

This pudding can be made four days ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Reheat single servings in microwave oven on HIGH for about 30 seconds just before serving.