Sticky date pudding will always be one of my favourite desserts. Rich, indulgent and warm, lightly spiced and finished with a very naughty caramel sauce. It's also the easiest dessert to make vegan as it's so deliciously moist and light.
Serves 9
INGREDIENTS
200g dates
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100ml soya milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
100g vegan butter, softened
75g dark muscovado sugar
2 tbsp black treacle
220g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Caramel Sauce:
50g vegan butter
200g light muscovado sugar
200ml vegan double cream
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Ice cream or custard - optional to serve
METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease and line a 22cm baking tin.
2. Place the dates in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and pour over 200ml of boiling water. Leave to soften for about 20 minutes. Mash them with a fork in the water or place them in a food processor and blend to a smooth puree.
3. Meanwhile, gently heat the soy milk, (you can do this in the microwave for 1 min) and add the apple cider vinegar. Leave for 5 mins to curdle.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the black treacle to combine.
5. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and curdled soy milk. Finally add the dates in their soaking liquid and mix everything to a smooth batter.
6. Transfer to the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. To make the sauce, place all the ingredients in a small saucepan over a low heat until everything is melted and combined. Turn up the heat until bubbling and slightly thickened. Serve the pudding warm, with a drizzle of the sauce and ice cream or custard if you’d like.
