1-Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F) to set the stage for that perfect bake. Greasing seven pudding moulds or lining a 20 cm (8-inch) square cake pan with overhang will make sure everything slides out smoothly later.

2-Next, prepare the dates by placing 280g of roughly chopped pitted dates in a bowl, sprinkle over 1 tsp baking soda, and pour in 1 cup boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then mash it until it’s porridge-like this step is what gives the pudding its amazing moisture. In another bowl, beat together 80g softened unsalted butter and 1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar until it’s nice and smooth, then mix in 2 eggs at room temperature one at a time.

3-Now, add 1 1/4 cups plain flour and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder to the mix and stir until combined. Quickly fold in that mashed date mixture to keep things light and airy. For a large pudding, pour the batter into your prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. If you’re going for individual puddings, fill the moulds two-thirds full and bake for 25 minutes.

4-Once out of the oven, poke holes in the hot pudding about 40 for a large one or 10 per individual to let the sauce soak in. Warm up the butterscotch sauce by melting 70g unsalted butter in a saucepan, then adding 1 cup tightly packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups thickened cream, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Bring it to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes while stirring once, and remove from heat.

5-Pour half a cup of the warm sauce over the large pudding or 1 tablespoon per individual one, letting it soak for 10 minutes. Serve warm with the rest of the sauce and a scoop of ice cream or cream. This method, including poking those holes, helps the pudding absorb the sauce for a rich color and extra stickiness.