AUSTRALIAN STICKY DATE PUDDING.

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature, cut into eight pieces plus extra to butter pan
1 1/4 cups chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round baking pan with sides at least 2 inches high, such as a springform pan.

Place the dates in a saucepan and cover with water (about 1 1/2 cups). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the baking soda (the mixture will foam) and set aside.

In a bowl, cream the cut up butter, sugar and eggs, adding the eggs one at a time. Gently mix in the flour, salt and vanilla. Slowly stir in the baking powder and 1/4 cup of the liquid from cooking the dates, until the cake mixture resembles thick pancake batter. Drain off remainder of date cooking liquid and discard. Stir in the dates.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked in the center.

Sauce: Combine the butter, whipping cream, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer, and cook for 3 minutes.

To serve: Drizzle some of the sauce over the cake as it is cooling.

Serve remaining sauce separately.