This sticky date pudding is cooked in quite a radical way. It does require a leap of faith but you rewarded with a tender sponge, much like a steamed sponge and a molasses rich sauce with very little work.

Place the chopped dates in a bowl, add bicarbonate of soda and pour over boiling water. Set aside to allow the dates to soften.
Prepare the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar together until smooth and pale. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until all incorporated.
In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Give a quick whisk to distribute the ingredients. The pour into the wet then whisk together until a smooth batter.
Remove the dates from the bowl of hot water with a slotted spoon or sieve. (Don't throw away the liquid this will be the base for the pudding sauce) Squidge the dates with a fork to break them down a little further, before folding into the cake batter with a spatula.
Grease the bowl of your slow cooker with butter. Add the cake and spread as flat as possible with a spatula.
To make the sauce part, sprinkle the cake with the remaining dark brown sugar and cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the cake. Gently pour the water reserved from the steeping dates on top of the butter and sugar on top of the cake and cook on a high setting of the slow cooker for 3 hours. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the chopped dates in a bowl, add bicarbonate of soda and pour over boiling water. Set aside to allow the dates to soften.
Prepare the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar together until smooth and pale. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until all incorporated.
In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Give a quick whisk to distribute the ingredients. The pour into the wet then whisk together until a smooth batter.
Remove the dates from the bowl of hot water with a slotted spoon or sieve. (Don't throw away the liquid this will be the base for the pudding sauce) Squidge the dates with a fork to break them down a little further, before folding into the cake batter with a spatula.
Grease the bowl of your slow cooker with butter. Add the cake and spread as flat as possible with a spatula.
To make the sauce part, sprinkle the cake with the remaining dark brown sugar and cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the cake. Gently pour the water reserved from the steeping dates on top of the butter and sugar on top of the cake and cook on a high setting of the slow cooker for 3 hours. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.