#96 Sticky Toffee Date Cake

A few weeks back I was watching the Barefoot Contessa on  Food Channel. She had invited a guest to cook on this particular episode and the guest baker was Laura Donnelly. Here is the original recipe...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sticky-toffee-date-cake-recipe/index.html

Laura set out to bake this simple cake that was just too moist and sticky for me to sit back and watch it without an immense need to eat a slice. Immediately my taste buds got so tickled, I had to get all the ingredients at the earliest and try it out in my kitchen. My sweet tooth  got the better of me and I baked a cake from Laura's recipe of cooked dates and topped it with a gooey sweet toffee syrup. The recipe can be downloaded from Food Network. Although the recipe gave measurements for two 9 inch cakes, I baked just one using half the ingredients and it turned out so luscious and delectable that there was not much leftover that I could save for the next day.

Ingredients:
1 lb dates, pitted and chopped
2 tspns baking soda
8 ounces butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tspn salt
3 1/4 tablespoons baking powder

For the sauce/topping:
1/2 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tspn vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream(optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
Place the dates in a large saucepan with 3 cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minutes before removing from heat. Stir in the baking sode causing the mixture to bubble up. Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, occasionally scraping down the mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.
Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don't worry! Finally add the baking powder.
Pour the batter evenly into the two pans. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Test if they are cooked with a small toothpick which should come out clean when done.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce combine the butter, brown sugar , heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and blended well. Cool a bit to thick and pour over the cakes spread to the edge of the cake.