Sticky Toffee Date Cake

If there’s a cake so versatile that it suits any time of day, it’s this Sticky Toffee Date Cake! Perfect for breakfast, tea time or dessert – this cake is so soft and moist with a light yet substantial texture. By: Christina Marsigliese, author of Scientifically Sweet cookbooks Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 34 Minutes Servings: 10 slices   Ingredients: Date Cake: 1 ¼ cups 170g Terra Delyssa Organic Deglet Noor Pitted Dates 1 cup 240ml water 1 ⅓cups 190g all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp salt ⅓cup 80ml Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil ⅔cup 145g packed light brown sugar 1 tsp orange zest optional 2 large eggs ½ tsp pure vanilla extract Toffee Sauce ⅔cup 150ml coconut cream ½ cup 110g packed dark brown sugar 2 tbsp 30ml tahini ½ tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt   Directions;  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the base of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. To make the cake, first prepare the dates. Place the chopped dates in a saucepan with the water and bring to a gently boil. Place a lid on and cock it slightly and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash the dates with a fork until it is a thick puree consistency with some soft chunks of dates. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, brown sugar and orange zest (if you're using it) until blended. Whisk in eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Sift in dry ingredients and fold them in gently. Add the warm date mixture and fold in until well combined. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until evenly golden and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. For the toffee sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes while whisking constantly until thickened. Pour it into a clean jar and serve warm over the cake.