Sticky Date Pudding
Sticky date pudding is a favorite Australian dessert, especially through the cooler months in the south of the country. This version beats the eggs and castor sugar like a sponge, so the crumb stays light despite the dates. The real trick comes at the end: you prick the hot cake all over and pour caramel into the holes, which makes every slice soft and sticky right through.
Instructions
Put the brown sugar and water in the top of a double boiler over simmering heat and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Take it off the heat and leave it to cool. This is the caramel mixture you will pour over the pudding later.
Chop the dates roughly and put them in a saucepan with the first teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. The mixture will froth up, so take it off the heat once the foam reaches the top of the pan, then set it aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift the flour, the second teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, the salt and the mixed spice together twice.
Beat the eggs lightly, add the castor sugar and whip as you would for a sponge, until the mixture is really light and fluffy. Fold in the oil and vanilla gently, because over-mixing knocks out the air you just beat in.
Fold in the sifted dry ingredients, then fold in the cooled date mixture. Pour the batter into a prepared tin.
Bake at 180°C for about 80 to 90 minutes, placing the tin not too high in the oven so the top does not burn. A fan-forced oven needs slightly less time and a slightly lower temperature. The pudding is done when a skewer comes out dry.
Leave the pudding in its tin and, while it is still hot, poke lots of holes through it with a skewer. Pour about 1 cup of the caramel mixture over the top so it soaks into the holes.
Slice into portions and serve straight away with cream or ice cream.
Make it personal.
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