Sticky Date Cake with Caramel Sauce

🛒 Ingredients

• #Date Cake;
• 250 g pitted dates — roughly chopped.. 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp baking soda.. 1¾ cups all-purpose flour.. 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt.. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg or mixed spice.. ½ cup coconut oil — melted and cooled
• ¾ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar.. 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or plant milk
• #Golden Caramel Sauce;
• ½ cup brown sugar.. ½ cup full-fat coconut cream
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter.. 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.. Pinch of sea salt — enhances sweetness perfectly

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the dates: Place chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them, add baking soda, stir, and let sit 10–15 minutes until soft and mushy. Mash gently with a fork — leave some chunks for texture.

2. 2

   Prep & preheat: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 20 cm round cake pan.

3. 3

   Mix batter: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix melted coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, and vinegar. Stir in the mashed date mixture. Add dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined — do not overmix.

4. 4

   Bake: Pour batter into pan and smooth the top. Bake 30–35 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate.

5. 5

   Make caramel sauce: While cake bakes, combine sugar, coconut cream, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4–6 minutes, stirring often, until thick, glossy, and golden. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool slightly — it thickens more as it cools.

6. 6

   Serve warm: Pour warm caramel sauce generously over the warm cake, letting it drip down the sides. Serve while still warm — extra sauce on the side is perfect!