Sticky Date Pudding

Preheat oven to 170ºC (340ºF). Grease a cake tin with your extra butter, then line it with nonstick baking paper.

Put dates and water in a pot and the bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, turn heat off. Add bi-carb soda and stir through, then set aside to cool.

Beat butter and the sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating through well after each addition. Add cooled date mixture and vanilla, stir through until well combined. Add self-raising flour and gently fold through with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Transfer mixture into the prepared cake tin then bake for 30–35 minutes. To test whether the pudding is cooked, you can stick a skewer in the middle and leave it in for 2 seconds. If the skewer comes out clean, it’s cooked.