Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a medium saucepan, combine the dates and water and then bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Remove the date mixture from the heat. Stir in baking soda. Set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract until combined.

You now add the eggs, one at a time and mix until combined.

Next is half the flour, then half the date mixture, mixing well to combine.

Repeat with the remaining flour and date mixture until combined.

Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or cooking spray. Pour the batter evenly into the bundt pan.

Bake the cake for 40 – 45  minutes or until the edges pull away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar, salt, cream and butter over medium-low heat stirring just until the sugar is dissolved.

Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the temperature to medium and bring the mixture to a boil.

Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, without stirring for 3 minutes to reduce.

Remove the sauce from the heat and then stir in the brandy and vanilla.

Let the sauce cool for 20 minutes.

*Spoon ⅓ of the sauce over the cooled cake. Give the cake about 5 minutes to absorb the sauce, then spoon another ⅓ of the sauce over the cake. 

Use the remaining ⅓ of the sauce to drizzle over the cake just before serving.  {Making sure to reheat the extra sauce just before serving.}

* When spooning the first 2/3rds of the sauce over the cake, it’s best to do this with the cake sitting on a wire rack over a baking sheet or sink. It will be messy! 🙂 You’ll want to have something to catch the extra sauce as the excess sauce drips off the cake.