Ingredients

• 60 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 200 g dried pitted dates (or fresh)
• 300 g water
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 90 g rapadura or quality brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 170 g cassava flour (or a GF flour blend)

Method

1. Line a loaf tin or round baking tin with baking paper or grease with butter or coconut oil. Pre Heat oven to 180°C 
2. Place pitted dates into food processor, mix until chopped into tiny bits
3. Pour into a pot on the stove and add water, heating it up for about 6 minutes. Add Bicarbonate soda, stir through and set aside. 
4. Place rapadura sugar and butter into the food processor (or use beaters) and mix until light and creamy, scrape down sides if needed. 
5. Add in the eggs 1 at a time until combined. 
6. Add vanilla, the flour and reserved date mixture until all are combined. 
7. Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 50min or the knife is pulled out clean from the centre of the cake (a way to test the cake is cooked) 

 Thermomix Method

1. Place pitted dates into mixing bowl and chop 8 sec/speed 7.
2. Add water and heat 5 min/100°C/speed 1, then mix 10 sec/speed 4.
3. Add bicarbonate of soda and combine 3 sec/speed 2. Transfer into a bowl and set aside. Thoroughly clean and dry mixing bowl.
4. Place Rapadura sugar into mixing bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 9.
5. Insert butterfly whisk. Add butter and mix 10 sec/speed 4. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then mix for a further 1 min/speed 4 or until light and creamy
6. Mix speed 4, adding eggs 1 at a time through hole in mixing bowl lid until combined. Remove butterfly whisk.
7. Add natural vanilla extract, self-raising flour and reserved date mixture and combine 5 sec/speed 4. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula and repeat mixing if needed.
8. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes. 

Jo Whitton's Caramel Sauce

I take no credit for this part - Jo always has the best sauce that goes with her banana ice cream. I use this sauce for everything. 

• 100g Rapadura or coconut sugar or pure maple syrup
• 100g coconut cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 large tsp vanilla bean paste)
• a pinch of Himalayan salt

Heat all ingredients together until combined and warmed to thicken (around 5-8minutes depending on your stove). OR in thermomix 5 min, veroma, speed 3. 

Pour Over the top.

Also used banana nicecream (literally just blended frozen bananas) for this on the side (Another Jo Special).