Sticky Toffee Squares

These are just bitesize sticky toffee pudding squares and smell amazing whilst in the oven! I love a good sticky toffee pudding so this is heaven to me. You can always warm them up and have some with custard or ice cream if you fancy as well but they're just as nice on their own! If you fancy, you can add grated apple or chopped walnuts to the cake for an extra taste or crunch as well.

If you don't fancy the toffee sauce on top, then you can leave it out as the cake itself is quite moist even with the dates in it. I got the recipe from the book "1001 Cupcakes, Cookies & other tempting treats" which has loads of great cupcake and traybake recipes in it!

Ingredients

Cake:-

85g butter

175g pitted dates, chopped

175ml boiling water

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

140g caster sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

175g self-raising flour

Toffee sauce:-

85g soft light brown sugar

40g butter

2 tbsp single cream or milk

Recipe

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

2) Place the dates, water and bicarbonate of soda in a small pan and heat gently for 5 minutes, until the dates are soft.

3) Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until fluffy.

4) Beat in the eggs, vanilla essence and dates.

5) Sift in the flour and beat into the mixture.

6) Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until firm and shrinking from the sides.

7) To make the toffee, add all of the ingredients into a small pan and heat gently for 3 to 4 minutes.

8) Prick the cake all over with a skewer then pour the hot toffee sauce evenly over the top.

9) Leave to cool in the tin then cut into squares to serve.