Sticky toffee pudding

There are foods which look better than they taste - always a dissapointment -  and then there is Sticky Toffee Pudding, which is just the opposite. It is not pretty at all, quite sweet, heavy to digest, and just absolutely lovely. I can easily kill three portions in one go...

Ingredients

(for a large pudding serving at least 10)

Cake:
250 g pitted dates
3 dl water
200 g butter
2,5 dl brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 dl wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
4 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
4 eggs

Salty caramel sauce:
75 g butter
2 dl brown sugar
1 dl cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel (salt)


Preparation

Cake:
Cook the dates and water in a pan for 2-3 minutes, until the dates soften up, then blend to a smooth paste. Cool down.

Beat the soft butter and sugar to a thick creamy paste.

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the eggs one by one to the sugar-butter paste, mixing well. Then add the dates and the dry ingredients.

Cover a medium baking tray (ca. 20 x 30 cm) with parchment paper and pour the dough in it. Bake in 175C for 40-50 minutes (after 35 minutes check the cake every 5 minutes: if the dough is still liquid, keep baking). Remove from oven when done and cover with a cloth.

Salty caramel sauce:
Mix all ingredients in a pan and boil a few minutes with low heat. Pour the hot sauce over the cake or individual portions.

Store the pudding in room temperature.