Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Grease and lightly flour an 8x8 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the chopped dates and baking soda. Pour over the boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the dates.

In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs, then gently fold in the sifted self-raising flour and a pinch of salt.

Add the date mixture to the batter and mix well to combine. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the toffee sauce. In a saucepan, combine the double cream, light brown sugar, and butter.

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and poke holes all over the surface with a skewer.

Pour half of the toffee sauce evenly over the hot cake, allowing it to soak in. Let the cake sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb the sauce.

Cut the cake into squares and serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with the remaining toffee sauce.