Wattleseed Sticky Date Pudding with Strawberry Gum Caramel

200 g pitted dates, roughly chopped

1 cups boiling water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbsp The Spice People Wattleseed

2 tsp The Spice People Strawberry Gum

125 g unsalted butter, softened

0.8 cups brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1.5 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cups unsalted butter

1 cups brown sugar, packed

0.8 cups thickened cream

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm square baking dish. Combine the dates, boiling water, bicarbonate of soda, and wattleseed in a bowl and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla extract, then fold through the flour and the soaked date mixture (including any liquid) until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

While the pudding bakes, combine the butter, brown sugar, thickened cream, strawberry gum, and salt flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. 

Poke some holes into the cake using a fork and then pour the warm caramel over the pudding to serve.