Portions
Serves
Preparation Time
20 minutes, plus 20 minutes soaking time
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Cake Mixture
- oz (g) dates, dried and chopped
- tsp vanilla extract
- oz (g) self-raising flour
- tsp bicarbonate of soda
- oz (g) unsalted butter
- oz (g) soft dark brown sugar
- eggs
Caramel
- oz (g) caster sugar
- ml double cream
- tsp salt
- tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- tsp vanilla extract
- oz (g) butter
- oz (g) icing sugar
Method
Cake Mixture
- Preheat oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4
- Place paper cases into cupcake tin
- In a heatproof bowl, pour in ml of boiling water over the dates and leave to soak for 20 minutes
- Using a fork, gently break up the dates and stir in the vanilla extract
- Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Beat in the eggs
- Mix in the date mixture, flour and bicarbonate of soda
- Put into cupcake cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until tops are springy when pressed
- Remove and cool on a wire rack
Caramel
- Dissolve the sugar in ml of water on gentle heat
- Increase the heat to boil
- Leave pan undisturbed, but keeping a careful eye
- Once it thickens and the colour changes to a caramel colour/strong tea colour take off the heat
- With care standing back, add the cream and stir
- Keep stirring
- Add the salt and vanilla extract
- Leave until cold
Buttercream
- Mix the butter and half of the icing sugar until well mixed
- Mix in the rest of the icing sugar
- Add the caramel