Sticky Toffee Pudding

Instructions

Make the Cake

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 5x7" nonstick baking pan that’s at least 1 inch deep. We used a medium corningware.
2. Chop your dates. The finer the chop the better the cake texture.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the dates with 1/2 cup water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until softened, about 5-7 minutes depending on how fine your dates are chopped.
4. Remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda, and set aside. The mixture will foam and turn greenish -- don't panic, this is normal.
5. Combine the butter and the golden sugar in a bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on high speed until the mixture is well combined and lighter in color, about 4 minutes.
6. Beat in the vanilla, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.
8. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the flour. When combined, fold in the date mixture, yielding a quite sloppy batter.
9. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake 35-40 minutes, or until it looks a deep golden brown and has risen properly. It should be firm to the touch but spring back a bit.

Make the Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, put the brown sugar, honey and butter and heat gently, stirring with a spatula until the sugar dissolves.
2. The mixture to a simmer and cook until it gets thick and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, and continue stirring at a light bubble for another minute or two. Be sure the texture is smooth and color consistent all the way through. Remove the pan from the heat.

To Serve

1. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, turn it over onto a cutting board, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
2. Cut a piece of the cake and put on a serving plate. Top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, then drench with sauce.