Ingredients

The following ingredients have 10 Servings
  • 6 oz dried (, pitted Medjool dates (about 12))
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups (5.8 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (, softened)
  • 3/4 cup (5.7 oz) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup (5.2 oz) packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10 wells of a muffin tin well and dust with flour, shaking out excess, set aside.
  • Add dates and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then add baking soda and boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, cover saucepan with lid and rest 10 minutes, then puree (the water and dates) in a food processor or blender. Set aside to cool.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until mixture become lighter in shade.
  • Mix in egg then mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, add in half of the flour mixture and mix until combined, then mix in pureed date mixture and finish by mixing in remaining half of the flour mixture.
  • Divide mixture among prepared cupcake pan, filling each about 2/3 full (about 1/3 cup at a time). Bake in preheated oven 17 - 19 minutes. Meanwhile prepare toffee sauce (about halfway through so it's still warm for serving).
  • Cool cakes in cupcake pan 5 minutes then run a butter knife around edges to loosen. Plate cakes (you can either serve the upright or rotate, if rotating to bottom side you may likely want to cut off about 1/2-inch just to level so they lay flat). Poke tops about 10 times with a toothpick then drizzle toffee sauce over tops. Serve warm.
  • For the toffee sauce:
  • In a small saucepan combined butter, cream, brown sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium-high heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil, then allow to boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Serve warm over cakes. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container and reheat before serving.