Chocolate Toffee Pudding Cake

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Next, take a moment to prepare an 8-inch square baking dish by applying a thin layer of grease to it.

In a tiny bowl, merge the dates and baking soda together. Then, carefully pour just enough boiling water over the dates to cover them completely.

Meanwhile, take 1/3 cup of butter and cream it with the white sugar until you achieve a light consistency. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing them well to combine.

Now, incorporate the flour and date mixture (including water) into the egg mixture. Gently fold everything together until you have a smooth, combined batter. Pour this batter into the prepared baking dish.

Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, taking anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool slightly.

While your cake is cooling, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, 1/3 cup of butter, and evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat until the mixture reaches a boil. Reduce the heat to a lower setting and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, remove the saucepan from heat and stir in some vanilla extract. Pour this warm caramel sauce over individual servings of your freshly baked cake.