Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan, 350°F, Gas 4. Pop the dates into a pan with the water, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the bicarbonate of soda and set aside.
In a new bowl, beat the butter, Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Tate&Lyle’s Light Soft Brown Sugar until soft and creamy, then beat in the vanilla and eggs.
Fold in the flour and the dates with their liquid, mix well to give a soft consistency. Spoon into a greased 20-23cm (8-9”) square shallow parchment lined cake tin, and bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes. Lightly cover with foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes (until a fine skewer comes out clean when poked through the centre).
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the Toffee sauce into a medium-sized non-stick pan and stir together over a low heat until the Tate&Lyle’s Light Soft Brown Sugar has dissolved.
When the pudding is ready, cut into portions, pour over the warm toffee sauce and serve.
Enjoy that rich golden sponge – just don’t skimp on the sauce!
