Sticky Date Pudding

Pudding: 

• ¾ cups (250g) pitted dried dates 
• 1¼ cups (310ml) boiling water 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 
• ¾ cup (165g) firmly packed CSR Brown Sugar 
• 60g (2oz) butter, chopped 2 eggs 
• 1 cup (150g) White Wings Self Raising Flour 

Caramel Sauce: 

• 1 cup (220g) firmly packed CSR Brown Sugar 
• 300ml pouring cream 100g (3oz) butter, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 22cm (9in) bundt cake pan well (see tip); dust with a little extra flour, shake out excess. 
2. Place dates, the water and soda in the bowl of a food processor; place lid on processor, stand for 5 minutes. 
3. Add sugar and butter to date mixture; pulse mixture for 5 seconds or until dates are coarsely chopped. Add eggs, then flour; pulse mixture for 10 seconds or until all ingredients are combined. Scrape any unmixed flour back into mixture with a rubber spatula; pulse again to combine ingredients. Pour mixture into pan.
4. Bake pudding for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave pudding in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a cake stand or plate.
5. Make caramel sauce. Stir sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced slightly. Whisk in butter, piece by piece, until smooth. Remove from heat.
6. Serve hot pudding with warm caramel sauce.

Tip: 

Bundt pans have a tendency to stick, so use melted butter and a pastry brush to grease the pan evenly, paying particular attention to any joins in the pan and the tube.