One of my most unexpectedly favorite desserts was a warm toffee pudding I had at Lucia's last winter.  I say unexpected because for the most part I do not care for warm desserts (and, yes, this includes hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies...get over it).  The cake was warm, covered in freshly made caramel, and did not last more than three minutes on my plate.

I have been meaning to make this cake for over a year and finally got around to it; trust me, it is a great dessert to serve on a cold, blustery, why-do-I-live-in-Minnesota, type of day.

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Date Cake)

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350° and butter a 9×13 inch baking pan (and line with parchment paper). Remove pits and chop dates and put them in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and stir in the baking soda. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Blend date mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Whisk in eggs, then salt. Stir in the flour, then date puree. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Make the sauce: Combine butter, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.  The sauce is best right away so make it right before serving (it becomes grainy the following day or the second time you heat it up).

To serve: Cut the cake into squares and pour the warm sauce over the top.  Sprinkle some sea salt on top and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cake
2 1/4 cups dried dates
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup cream
1 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Other
Unsweetened whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream
Sea salt flakes