Sticky date cake with toffee sauce

Instructions

1. To make the toffee sauce, place the light brown sugar in a saucepan and cook on low heat, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Do not stir. When you see patches of melted sugar, slightly shake the pan so the dry sugar mixes with the melted sugar. Be patient with the process of making the sauce. Melted sugar can very easily burn, so it’s better to supervise the entire time and work on low heat and with vigilant care. When the sugar starts bubbling and gets slightly darker in color, add the cooking cream and stir. Be careful as the mixture will get very bubbly at this point.
2. Simmer on low-medium for 1 additional minute. The sauce should look creamy and slightly brown and at this point it will be runny. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool down and thicken, then add the vegan butter, vanilla and salt and stir until the butter has completely melted. Transfer the Toffee Sauce into a bowl with a pouring spout and set aside to cool. For an easy alternative to making the Toffee Sauce, see Note.
3. To make the date cake, preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F), set an oven rack in the middle position and grease a 20 cm (8 inch) square cake pan with vegan butter. Dust with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder and set aside.
4. In a bowl, mix the wheat flour, ground almonds, remaining cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
5. In a small cup, mix the ground flaxseeds with the water and let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes, until thickened.
6. To a high-speed blender, add the pitted dates and almond milk. Blend well until a smooth paste has formed. Add the vegan butter, muscovado sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and flaxseed mixture to the date paste. Blend until well combined.
7. Pour the date mixture into the flour mixture and incorporate gently, using a spatula. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. After the first 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 175°C (370°F) and bake for the remaining 15 minutes, until slightly darker on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Slice the cake into rectangles while still warm and place on individual plates. Add one scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on each slice and drizzle about 2 tablespoons (40 ml) of toffee sauce on top of each serving. Enjoy right away.