Sticky Date Pudding

CAKE:
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces pitted dates, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 tablespoons baking powder

SAUCE:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPING:
1 pint chilled cream

Butter a high sided 9 inch round baking pan. Preheat oven to 350�F. Put dates in saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer about 3 minutes. Add the baking soda and remove pan from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, cream butter with sugar and add in eggs one at a time.

Fold in flour, salt and vanilla. Slowly stir in the baking powder and 1/4 cup of date liquid from pot. Stir well until mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.

Stir in remainder of the "drained " dates.

Place mixture in prepared pan and bake about 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked in center. Remove to rack in pan to cool.

Meanwhile make sauce: in pot, combine butter, cream and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Drizzle some of the hot sauce over the cooling cake.

To serve: cut cooled ( room temp ) cake into wedges and pour over the warm sauce. top with cream that has been whipped.

Serves 8-10.