Makes One 20cm Round Pudding
250g pitted dates, chopped
½ + 1 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
125g butter, softened, more for greasing
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g flour
vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
For the gula Melaka sauce
½ cup shaved gula Melaka, firmly packed
300ml thickened cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
60g butter
Sticky Date Pudding With Gula Melaka Sauce
1. Blitz dates and ½ cup water in a blender or a food processor until relatively fine. Bring remaining water
to boil and stir in the date purée. Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda. Allow to stand for 15 mins.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Line and grease a 20cm round pan. Cream butter and brown sugar on low speed
until pale. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just mixed before adding the next one. Finally, tip in the vanilla and mix well.
3. Fold the flour into the batter (it will get thick), followed by the date mixture. Pour batter into the pan,
and bake for about 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4. While waiting for the pudding to cool, make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 more mins, or until the sauce resembles the consistency of dark soy sauce.
5. Using a skewer, pierce the pudding several times all over and pour ¾ of the sauce over the pudding. Let it
stand for 10 to 15 mins before serving with the remaining sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.