Sticky date pudding cake with tea-spiked caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200oC conventional). Grease a 20cm square tin with cooking oil. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Put tea bags, dates and 400ml boiling water in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil. Add bicarb and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside
for 30 minutes to cool to room temperature. Remove tea bags.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat, using whisk attachment, for 4 minutes or until light and creamy. Beat in golden syrup and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cooled date mixture. Sift flour into mixture and stir to combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and smooth surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Meanwhile, to make tea-spiked caramel sauce, combine cream and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add tea bags and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to infuse. Remove tea bags.

Put butter and sugar in another small pan and heat over a high heat, stirring until bubbling. Stir in cream mixture and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden brown and slightly thickened.

Cut sticky date pudding into squares. To serve, put squares on serving platter and drizzle with caramel sauce and cream.