For the sponge

Line two 8″/20cm round cake tins with parchment paper.

De-stone your Medjool dates if not pitted, and chop up into quarters.

 Add them to a bowl, along with the bicarbonate of soda and the boiling water and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Once sat, blitz the mixture into a puree with a food processor, or blender until smooth.

 Add your butter to a bowl, along with the dark brown sugar and beat until combined and smooth.

 Add the eggs into the mixture one at a time, and beat in each time.

 Add in the flour, treacle, vanilla and pureed date mixture and beat again until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the tin, and bake the cake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until baked through. Test with a skewer, (listen for the cake so it make no sounds).

Once baked, leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, and then leave to cool fully on a wire rack.

For the sauce

Whilst the cake is baking, make the sauce.

Add all the ingredients into a pan, and heat on a low heat until the butter has melted, and everything mixed together.

Bring the mixture to the boil and boil for 1 minute.

Once the mixture has boiled, remove from the heat and leave the sauce to cool fully. Stir occasionally so a skin isn’t formed.

For the Buttercream

Add your butter to a bowl or stand mixer and beat on it’s own for about 3-5 minutes until smooth and supple.

Add in the Icing Sugar and beat in until fully mixed in.

Add in the cooled sticky toffee sauce and mix again, until delicious and perfect.

For the Decoration

Using your favourite piping tip, pipe your Sticky Toffee Buttercream onto the cake.

Drizzle the cake with some more Sticky Toffee Sauce, and then sprinkle with your favourite sprinkles. Enjoy!