Date Cake with Caramel Sauce

Silky, moist, rich ... a pleasurable surprise for the palette

Ingredients
250g pitted dates
310ml boiling water
15ml baking soda
a little oil
150g brown sugar
60g butter
2 eggs
150g flour with incorporate yeast (or alternatively, add as per package instructions)

Preparation
1. Place oven grill so as to place the cake in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven at 150C (300F).
2. Place dates, boiling water and baking soda in food processor; let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Grease bottom and sides of cake mold with oil; place a piece of parchment paper at bottom.
4. Add brown sugar and butter to date mixture; mix for 5 seconds until dates are coarsely chopped.
5. Add eggs, then flour; mix for 5 to 10 seconds. Scrapped flour that is not mixed from the sides using a spatula and mix shortly again.
6. Pour the mixture into the cake mold and bake for 55 minutes.
7. Cake will be ready when you press the top with 2 fingers it is firm and sides must have slightly shrunk from the sides of the mold. When testing cake with a toothpick, it should come out free of any dough mixture. If you need to bake it further, put it in for an additional 5 minutes then test again. When ready, take out of oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
8. Place a cake rack on top of mold; hold rack and mold and unmold upside down. Remove parchment paper. Using a second cake rack and flip it back delicately.
9. Serve cake warm with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
200g brown sugar
100g butter
300ml crème fraîche or Greek yogurt

Preparation
1. Melt butter and sugar over medium-low heat.
2. With a wooden spoon mix in crème fraîche.
3. When butter is completely melted, bring to a boil. Stir consistently until sauce is smooth.

This recipe was taken from Recettes Faciles: Marabout Côté Cuisine, 2000.