Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter.

Place dates in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Pour boiling water on top. Stand 10 minutes, then mash well with a potato masher (or fork) until it is broken down and you don’t see any large pieces of dates.

👉 Soft Medjool dates work best for this recipe. If your dates aren’t very soft, chop them first—this makes them much easier to mash.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat until light (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, beat until incorporated.

👉 If your eggs are cold, the batter may look slightly curdled at this stage, but don’t worry—the cake will still turn out just fine.

Add the dry ingredients, give a quick mix until it is mostly combined. Add the mashed dates along with any remaining liquid and give a good stir, until well combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spread evenly, smooth top and bake for 24 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

👉 Prepare the sauce while the cake is baking.

Add all the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, then remove from heat.

👉 The sauce quantity is enough to pour over the cake. If you’d like extra sauce for serving, double the recipe and use half on the cake. Keep in mind that additional sauce makes the cake very sweet—if you don’t have a strong sweet tooth, stick to the given amount.

While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the surface with a skewer, making sure it reaches the bottom of the pan. Gently pour the sauce over the cake and let it soak for 10–15 minutes before serving.

👉 The more holes, the better—it helps the sauce soak thoroughly into the cake.

The cake is outstanding served warm with vanilla ice cream!