Cookbook:Sticky Date Pudding

A sticky date pudding is a favorite Australian pudding, especially in Southern climates in the winter months. Your family and friends will love you forever if you make them the following recipe.

Sauce

 * 2 cups (480 ml) brown sugar
 * 1 cup (240 ml) water

Cake

 * 1 cup (240 ml) pitted dates
 * 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
 * 2 cups (480 ml) plain flour
 * 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
 * 2 tsp salt
 * 2 tsp mixed spice
 * 4 eggs, at room temperature
 * 1½ cups (360 ml) castor sugar
 * 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
 * 2 tsp of vanilla essence

Serving

 * 500 ml cream

Equipment

 * Double boiler
 * Electric mixer (a free standing one is better, as you need to beat the eggs for some time for best results)
 * Sieve or flour sifter
 * Large cake tin, lined with parchment paper and well-greased

Sauce

 * 1) Place brown sugar and water in top of double boiler.
 * 2) Over simmering heat, stir until all brown sugar is dissolved.
 * 3) Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

Cake

 * 1) Chop dates roughly, place in saucepan, and add sodium bicarbonate along with just enough water to cover everything.
 * 2) Bring to boil, and simmer for 1 minute. It should froth up from the bicarb; when it does, remove from heat once foam reaches the top of the saucepan.
 * 3) Set aside to cool.
 * 4) Preheat oven to 180°C.
 * 5) Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and mixed spice together twice.
 * 6) Beat eggs lightly. Add castor sugar and whip as for making a sponge; it should be really light and fluffy.
 * 7) Fold in oil and vanilla essence, but don’t over-mix this as you’ll lose all the air in the egg mixture.
 * 8) Fold in the sifted flour, sodium bicarbonate, and salt. Then, fold in the cooled date mixture.
 * 9) Pour into prepared tin. Bake in oven at 180°C for about 80–90 minutes, not too high in the oven or the top will burn. Cooking time and temperature can be reduced slightly if a fan-forced oven is used
 * 10) Test cake with skewer, which should come out dry. Remove from oven, and leave pudding in the tin

Serving

 * 1) Use a skewer to create lots of holes throughout the hot pudding
 * 2) Pour approximately 1 cup of caramel mixture onto the hot pudding; this will soak into the holes of the pudding
 * 3) Slice into desired portions, and serve immediately with cream or ice cream.