Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Grease or line a 23cm x 23cm square baking tin or 23cm round baking tin.

In a heat proof bowl add the dates, bicarb & boiling water. Allow it to stand until the water has cooled to room temperature.

To a bowl, add the butter and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix until the butter is light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully combined before add the next.

On a slow speed add the flour slowly and mix until just combined. You may still have a bit of residual flour at the top of the mixing bowl. Don’t worry, it will get incorporated at the next step and it’s important not to over mix the batter.

Add the cooled date mixture (including the water) into the mixing bowl and combine by hand or on a slow speed if you are using a stand mixer.

Using a spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure it’s all combined.

It’s a very loose/thin batter so you can easily pour it in the baking tin.

If you are using a springform tin, make sure it’s sealed well at the bottom rim.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out without any crumbs or wet batter on the end.

Enjoy with ice cre

Place the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan.

Place on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 3 minutes.

Stir the mixture every so often.

The sauce will become quite thick.

After 3 minutes, add the cream and salt and stir again. Be careful as the caramel will foam up and expand a little before settling down again. 

Adding the cream will thin out the sauce so simmer for a further 1 - 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens again so that it coats the wooden spoon/spatula.

Allow the mixture to cool in the saucepan and resist the urge to taste it as it is scorchingly hot!!