Irish Sticky Date Pudding With Irish Whiskey Toffee Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 1/2 cups water (375 ml)
• 1 1/3 cups chopped pitted dates (325 ml)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda (10 ml)
• 1 cup butter, softened (250 ml)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (125 ml)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (5 ml)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (625 ml)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (10 ml)
• 3/4 cup butter (175 ml)
• 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (300 ml)
• 3/4 cup whipping cream (175 ml)
• 1/4 cup irish whiskey (such as bushmills or jameson, 50 ml)

Recipe

• 1 grease 10-cup (2.5 l) bundt or tube pan; dust with flour. set aside.
• 2 in saucepan, bring water, dates and baking soda to boil; let cool.
• 3 in large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. stir in vanilla. in another bowl, whisk flour with baking powder; stir into butter mixture alternately with date mixture, making 2 additions of dry ingredients and 1 of date mixture. scrape into prepared pan. bake in centre of 350°f (180°c) oven for 45 minutes.
• 4 irish whiskey toffee sauce: meanwhile, in saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in sugar until dissolved. add cream and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. stir in whiskey; keep warm.
• 5 while still in pan and using skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over cake; pour 1/3 cup (75 ml) warm sauce evenly over top. bake until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 15 minutes. let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.
• 6 invert cake onto platter. poke holes all over; pour 1/3 cup (75 ml) more sauce over cake. (make-ahead: let cool completely. wrap in plastic wrap; store in airtight container at room temperature for up 2 days. cover remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 2 days. reheat to serve.).
• 7 to serve, cut into slices; drizzle with remaining warm sauce. serves 12.
• 8 canadian living magazine: march 2007.