Preheat oven to 170°C using the CircoTherm setting for NEFF ovens, or to 170°C fan-forced for other oven types.
Roughly chop the dates and discard any hard seeds, if found. Place dates in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the bicarb soda. Pour over the freshly boiled water and allow the dates to soak for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare your Gingerbread Caramel Sauce by placing butter, cream, sugar and Gingerbread Spice into a small saucepan and putting on medium heat. Stir gently until the butter has melted, then simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Set the caramel aside.
- Once the dates have softened, mash them with a potato masher (or whizz with a stick blender) until nearly smooth. Add the melted butter, brown sugar and eggs and whisk thoroughly to combine. Next, sift in the flour and Gingerbread Spice and mix to form a smooth batter.
- Grease a round, 24cm springform with butter and line the base with baking paper. Or alternatively, grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake in a preheated oven for 30–40 minutes until cake is cooked (or 12–15 minutes for mini puddings).
- Take the cake out of the oven and poke the top all over with a wooden skewer. Pour some Gingerbread Caramel Sauce over the top of the cake and let it absorb for 15 minutes as the cake cools.
- Serve the cake with a dollop of cream or ice cream on the side and an extra drizzle of Gingerbread Caramel Sauce.
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