Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

1.Preheat oven to moderate (180°C/160°C fan-forced). Grease deep 20cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2.Combine dates and the water in medium saucepan, bring to a boil; remove from heat, add soda, stand 5 minutes. Blend or process mixture until smooth.

3.In a small bowl, beat butter, sugar and one of the eggs with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining egg. (Mixture will curdle at this stage, but will come together later.) Stir in sifted flour then date mixture.

4.Pour mixture into pan; bake about 55 minutes. Stand pudding 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack over oven tray; turn pudding top-side up.

5.Meanwhile, make butterscotch sauce.

6.Pour ¼ cup sauce over pudding. Return pudding to moderate oven; bake, uncovered, further 5 minutes. Serve pudding with remaining sauce.

7.In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 3 minutes.