Luxurious and delicious, this old-fashioned pud is a wintery treat

Puddings bring joy, comfort, and a grounded, homey satisfaction to the table.

Sticky date pudding recipe by Elizabeth Hewson. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Pudding just makes sense right now. If pudding is ever in question, sticky date and ­ginger beer pudding with rich salted butterscotch sauce should always be the answer.

I’ve talked before about my deep love of puddings. I think they sum up my cooking (and maybe my personality) quite well. They reflect how I like to approach food and cooking: simple, satisfying and real. Indulgent without being pretentious. Puddings bring joy, comfort, and a grounded, homey satisfaction to the table – something I strive to share with you every fortnight. I hope you enjoy.

Try too my lamb and potato pie.

Deliciously warming pud. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Go hard on the sauce please.

Sticky date and ginger beer pudding with salted butterscotch sauce

Ingredients

• 200g pitted dates

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 125ml (½ cup) boiling water

• 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

• 2 eggs

• 225g (1½ cups) plain flour, sifted

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 250ml ginger beer

Butterscotch sauce


• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar

• 175g (½ cup) golden syrup

• 200ml thickened cream

• 125g unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

• 1 teaspoon salt
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (170C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. Place the dates and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave to sit for 15 minutes to soften. Transfer the dates and their liquid to a food processor and blitz until smooth. (Alternatively, finely chop the dates with a small sharp knife and return them to the soaking liquid.)
2. Use electric beaters to cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla paste for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, date purée and ginger beer, then use a wooden spoon to fold it all together until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a plate.
5. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
6. To serve, prick the warm cake all over with a skewer. Pour over a third of the hot sauce and leave to soak in for 2-3 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and extra sauce on the side.

Serves 6-8