Australian Sticky Date Pudding

I have a friend who made Australian sticky date pudding another day, at first I thought it's chocolate cake, when I tasted it, I thought it's prume cake, she said it's date cake.

Last weekend, I made it at my parents-in-law for the 1st time, it turns out for my niece's birthday cake (I didn't know that, or I will make a cake with some great decorations!!). I'm glad that she loves it :) My mother-in-law asked me the recipe to make it again right after tasting it.

Please read this carefully: 
I made it by using almond extract because we have no vanilla extract at home :( ---> Do not use it because the almond flavor was over the date flavor, do use vanilla extract to bring out the flavor of date.

Ingredients:
Cake
200g dates, seeded & chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
60g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour (for 1 cup flour, add 1 teaspoon Baking Powder)

Caramel sauce

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter
300ml cream

Note: you can also use my easy recipe to make the caramel sauce that I posted before. 
This time I used the cream with 35% fat, which is super delicious & rich, I found it quite different from the one I made with 30% fat.

Instructions:

Cake

1. In saucepan, bring water to boil with dates, remove from heat, add baking soda & stand
2. Cream butter & sugar until smooth 
3. Add lightly beaten eggs slowly
4. Add vanilla, beat well
5. Fold in the flour and then date mixture
6. Bake at 160 degrees for 50 - 60mins

Caramel sauce (makes 2 cups)
1. Cook slowly, stirring now and again without letting the sauce boil until sugar dissolves
2. Simmer for 5 minutes

Enjoy!