Upside down sticky toffee pudding

This is one of my favourite puddings, I first tried it in a hotel restaurant and I order it whenever I go somewhere that has it! I had it last at the hotel we went to in the Cotswolds (Calcot Manor) and it was really good.  We tried this cheat's version as we didn't have double cream which you need for the real recipe. We have never actually made the actual pudding but I'm going to get Mummy to buy the right ingredients for the next time so we can - I'll add it to the blog!  This version is an all in one pudding with the sauce already cooked into. If you want it to be perfect eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven, If you can't serve it straight away, it will still be great but the sauce may soak into the pudding - this happened to us but it was yum!

I was so surprised when I read that it had dates in! My little brother loves dates : )

Sponge

150g/5oz medjool dates pitted and chopped (we used another date variety and was fine)

250ml / 9floz water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

75g/3oz unsalted butter diced

125g/4.5oz light muscovado sugar (we used light brown sugar instead)

2 medium eggs

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g/7oz plain flour sifted

Sauce

80g/3 1/4oz light muscovado sugar (or light brown sugar)

25g/1oz unsalted butter

100ml/3.5fl oz water

optional - a big pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the over to 200c / 180c fan / gas 6. Butter a 30 cm / 12 inch oval gratin dish or a suitable rectangular dish equivalent in size.

2. Bring the dates and water to the boil in a small pan and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth it up.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor, add the eggs one at a time, and then the syrup, the vanilla and flour.  Add in the dates, half at a time - do not overmix. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour this evenly over the sponge, which should have set on the surface while remaining liquid in the centre. Some of the sauce will sink to the bottom and some will collect around the edge. Return the pudding to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the sponge is risen and fluffy and a skewer inserted at the centre comes out clean.

Step 2 above

Step 3 above

Step 4

This is the sponge baked for 10 minutes with sauce poured on top.

Serve straight away with cream or ice cream. You should have a lovely sticky layer of goo on the bottom, and also around the edge.  ENJOY!