Sticky Date Puddings with Caramel Butter Cream and Butterscotch Sauce

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

285g (1¾ cups) pitted dates, chopped 
1 teaspoon baking soda
250ml (1 cup) boiling water
80g butter, softened
100g (½ cup) brown sugar
2 eggs
115g (¾ cup) self-raising flour
75g (½ cup) plain flour

Caramel Butter Cream 
250g butter, softened
100g (½ cup) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
600g (4 cups) icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk

Butterscotch Sauce 
200g (1 cup) brown sugar
300ml cream
60g butter

Method: 

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Grease a Ceramabake Non-Stick Ceramic 6 cup Texas Muffin Pan. Place the dates and soda into a heat proof bowl and pour over the water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, using electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time; beating well in between each addition. Add the date mixture, sift over the flours and fold together until well combined.

Divide the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until the surface bounces back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan. Cool completely.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until smooth and combined. Beat in the milk until smooth.

To make the butterscotch sauce, place the sugar, cream and butter into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool. 

To assemble, top the puddings with the butter cream and drizzle with the butterscotch sauce.