This is a surprisingly light dessert.

1 cup medjool dates, chopped
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Toffee sauce
1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup half & half
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Finely chop the dates and add them to the boiling water. Stir in baking soda and stir. Let them sit undistrubed for 20 minutes or so while you put the other ingredients for the cake together.

In the stand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time while beating them each in well. Scrape down between adding the eggs into the batter. Beat in the vanilla. Turn off the mixer and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix it together with the butter mixture.

Blend the dates in water together (do not drain) and pour the mixture into the cake mixture. The dates don’t need to be smooth. Mix everything together until combined.

Grease cupcake tins and put about 1/4 cup of batter in each tin. Bake for 20 minutes. Don’t over bake. Let stand for 10 minutes and remove from the cupcake tins while still warm.

While the cake is baking, you can put together the toffee sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, and add the rest of the ingredients holding back the vanilla until the end. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Let simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, until the toffee thickens some. Whisk in the vanilla and set aside to cool.

Serve the cakes with a drizzle of toffee sauce and a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream or Devon Custard (per our friends recommendation who live in England).