The best Sticky Date Pudding ever!

There are 2 things I can do really well
One is clear the house of the entire occupants within in 5 minutes flat. All I need to say is "I feel like cooking that Brussels Sprouts dish that I love tonight!". Within 5 minutes I find myself totally alone as cars that are carrying my precious family members are zooming off in different directions out of our street faster than any formula one race.
The legendary Brussels Sprouts dish was only ever made once. For the next two hours I can enjoy the stereo blaring with MY choice of music, likes of De Phazz, Hunters & Collectors, Paris Wells or Elysian Fields to name a few.

The second is Sticky Date Pudding, which usually increases the occupants two fold. Since it's been my fault that we have had 9 straight days of rain, the Pudding was the only compensation to save me from a lynch mob.
Here is how you make it

INGREDIENTS
1 &1/2 cups of chopped pitted dates
1 & 1/4 cups of water
1tsp of BiCarb Soda
60g of butter at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 & 1/4 cup self raising flour

SAUCE
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
100g butter chopped.

Preheat oven to 180C (Lower temp for fan forced ovens)
Grease a 20cm square or round cake pan

Heat the dates and water in a medium saucepan till it just boils, take of the heat and add the bicarb soda. Stir and leave to the side.
Cream the butter and caster sugar together till light and fluffy with an electric mixer
Add one egg at a time beating well each time.
Fold through the flour
With the electric mixer give the date mixture a whiz, then add to the rest of the ingredients, folding through.
Add to cake pan and cook for around 35-40 mins.
Skewer cake, if it comes out clean it's done.
Leave to cool, while making the sauce.

On gentle heat, cook all the sauce ingredients till the sugar is dissolved and the sauce looks smooth and creamy.
Place portions in shallow bowls and smother with the sauce.
For extra decadence, spoon some ice cream on the pudding before smothering with the sauce.
Enjoy!!
(We do!)