Date & Ginger Cake with Caramel Glaze

This recipe comes from the Delicious. Baking cookbook and is so good that I had to share it. If you are a lover of sticky date pudding, this is the cake for you. Sticky, sweet and a little spicy, this cake is a perfect winter warmer.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes + Chilling         Cook Time: 1 Hour + 20 Minutes          Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 200g Pitted Dates, halved
• 1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 75g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 165g Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 3 Eggs
• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 80g Glace Ginger, chopped

Caramel Glaze

• 110g Caster Sugar
• 25g Salted Butter
• 80ml Thickened Cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 160C fan forced. Grace and line a 1L loaf pan with baking paper. Place the dates, bicarbonate of soda and 330ml boiling water in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add the ground ginger and beat to combine.
3. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and beat until well combined, then stir in the date mixture.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and scatter over the glace ginger. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170C / 150C fan forced and cook for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, to make the caramel glaze, place the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 8 minutes or until a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add the cream and stir until smooth and glossy. Transfer caramel to a bowl and cool slightly, then cover and chill for 1 hour or until spreading consistency.
6. Spread caramel glaze over the top of the cake.