Ingredients
2 sticks (1 C) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing pan.
1 C self-rising cake flour plus additional for flouring pan
1 C pitted dates (5oz) finely chopped
1 1/4 C packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
Preparation
preheat ove to 350o. butter and flour and 8x2 inch round cake pan
Simmer dates in 1 C water in a 1 qt heavy saucepan, covered until soft, about 5 minutes. Let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes.
Beat together 1 stick butter and 1/4 C brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg until combined. Add flour and 1/8 t salt and mix at low speed until just combined. add dates and mix until just combined well. Pour batter into pan and bake until a wooded pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining stick butter in a 2 qt heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in remaining cup brown sugar, 1/3 C water, and a pinch of salt. Boil over moderately high heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, unit sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 1/4 C, (2-8 min) Remove from heat and cover. Transfer pudding in pan to a rack and poke all over at 1 inch intervals with a chopstick. Gradually pour half of warm sauce evenly over hot pudding. Let stand until almost all of sauce is absurd, about 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of pan. Invert a plate over pudding and invert pudding onto plate. Pour remaining warm sauce over pudding and serve immediately
Cooks note: Pudding, soaked with half of sauce, can stand at room temperature up to 2 hours. Reheat in pan in a 300o oven 10 minutes. Warm remaining sauce before pouring over pudding.
