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Ingredients
- 120g dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 tsp bread soda
- 250ml water
- 60g butter
- 150g pumpkin puree
- 185g self raising flour
- 100g brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- For the maple salted caramel sauce:
- 140g brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 90g butter
- 185ml cream
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a muffin tray with 8-12 paper cases (depending on size).
- Put the dates and 250ml water into a pan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the bread soda, this will foam up but keep stirring to combine.
- Add the butter and stir until melted. Fold in the pumpkin purée.
- Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and spices. Make a well in the centre, add the pumpkin date mixture and eggs. Combine well.
- Divide the batter among the cake cases. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- To make the sauce: put the maple syrup, cream, butter and sugar into a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add a pinch of salt if you want it salted.
- Stir for five minutes until the sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
- To serve, remove the paper cases and pierce the warm cakes a few times with a skewer, pour the sauce over the cakes and serve with cold whipped cream.
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