Date and coffee syrup cake

Date and coffee syrup cake. Photo / Ian Jones

Makes eight pudding moulds

Cake batter:
70g stale breadcrumbs
1 tsp baking soda
150g fresh dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup espresso coffee
80g softened butter
165g caster sugar
4 eggs
185g self-raising flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk

Coffee syrup:
110g caster sugar
1 1/2 cups espresso coffee
1/2 cup Heilala vanilla syrup

To make the cake: Combine breadcrumbs, soda and dates. Stir in espresso and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour with cinnamon, fold into butter mixture alternatively with buttermilk. Fold in breadcrumb mixture, spoon into buttered, sugared pudding moulds and bake at 165C for 20 minutes.

To make the coffee syrup: In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and reduce to cup. Prick the cakes all over and dip into syrup.