DESSERTS WITH WOW FACTOR

Get ahead for Christmas with these easy showstoppers

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Sticky ginger pudding cake

SERVES 12

Topped with a chocolate butterscotch sauce, this makes a great alternative to traditional Christmas pudding.

YOU WILL NEED

• 375g Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped

• 5 balls stem ginger in syrup, drained, finely chopped, plus 6tbsp syrup

• 6 medium eggs, beaten

• 1tbsp treacle

• 225g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 225g self-raising flour

• 2tsp ground mixed spice

• 175g dark muscovado sugar

• 50g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped, to decorate (optional)

• Pouring cream or ice cream, to serve (optional)

For the sauce:

• 120g unsalted butter

• 200g soft light brown sugar

• 300ml double cream

• 75g dark chocolate, chopped

You will need:

• 22-24cm Bundt tin, well buttered, dusted with flour

HOW TO DO IT

1 Heat the oven to 150C Fan. Whizz 200g of the dates and 100ml boiling water in a food processor until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the remaining dates, ginger and syrup, eggs, treacle and a pinch of salt.

2 In a separate bowl, sift together the remaining ingredients, then fold into the date mixture until well combined. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hr until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool.

3 Put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and melt, stirring, over low heat until smooth. Cool for 10 mins to thicken, then drizzle some over the cake.