Sticky prune and toffee pudding

Use a spring-form cake tin, approximately 23 centimetres. Line your tin with parchment paper and have it ready to go. In a small saucepan with a lid, heat the prunes, which you could roughly chop, along with enough water to just cover them and the bicarbonate of soda. Simmer gently for five minutes or so until it’s starting to resemble a sloppy paste. It may go a weird green colour which is just a chemical reaction with the bicarbonate and will all come out in the wash.

Set aside to cool and add in the cardamom seeds and mash with the back of a spoon. Set this aside till you are ready to add it to your cake mix.

Beat or whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Have your dried ingredients mixed: in a bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Fold this into the egg and butter mixture, and then fold in the wet prunes. When well mixed, pour into the cake tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

While this is baking, make the toffee sauce. Heat together all the ingredients and simmer for a minute or so until all the sugar has dissolved. You can add some black pepper, too.

When the cake has cooled somewhat, mark out your portions and lightly score the cake. Leave it in the tin and pour half the sauce over it to soak in overnight. You may want to keep it on a baking tray or similar in case the sauce leaks out overnight. Wrap well with clingfilm and leave to soak in the fridge overnight.

When you are ready to serve, remove the clingfilm, keep the pudding on the baking tray and heat it slightly in the oven (about 140 degrees/gas 1) just to warm it through for five to 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the spring-form tin (beware of oozing sauce) and slice.

Heat up the remaining toffee sauce and spoon some more over if you fancy. A nice blob of Greek yoghurt is great as it’s sharp enough for the sticky, spicy, sweetness.

Food cooked and styled by Domini and Peaches Kemp