cinnamon and orange sticky date pudding

It's really kinda chilly in Sydney right now, finally winter, and definitely pudding weather.  Last year I partnered with Williams Sonoma Australia to create a recipe for one of their Nordic Ware bundt tins, after many, many rounds of testing this is it, cinnamon and orange sticky date pudding. Fragrant with spices and orange, it's beautifully light and moist, with a crisp yet chewy caramel crust, perfectly warm and comforting for these brisk conditions!

Kitchenware is definitely my thing, I'm a collector of cake tins, old and new, and have a fair few Nordic Ware pans. This pan though, may be my favourite; it's not overly complicated, I love the sauce hugging ridges, but it's the name that seals it, it's the "Party" pan...

Cinnamon and Orange Sticky Date Pudding

250g dates, stoned and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

zest and juice of 1 orange
90g unsalted butter
120g caster sugar

110g brown sugar
3 large eggs
250g self-raising flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

• preheat oven to 180°C

• carefully butter and flour a 10 cup bundt tin, take your time to ensure you do not miss any spots, particularly any ridges

• pour the orange juice into a jug, add water to make a total of 460ml, tip into a pan with the chopped dates and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, add the bicarb soda, give it a quick stir and set aside for 10 minutes to cool, then using a stick blender or food processor, blend until smooth

• sieve the flour, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl, set aside

      • cream butter and sugars until fluffy and the colour noticeably lightens, add the orange zest, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each

      • fold in the flour gently, then stir in the date mixture, the batter will be very wet, pour into your prepared tin

      • bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes, the pudding is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (while the pudding is cooking make the sauce)

      • as soon as it’s out of the oven, invert the pudding onto a shallow oven proof dish or plate, pour a little sauce over the pudding and pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes or so, the sauce will form a deliciously chewy crust

      • sprinkle with flaked sea salt and serve generous slices with extra caramel sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and maybe a candied orange slice or two

     

       Any leftover pudding can be stored, covered in the fridge, best eaten within 3 days

orange caramel sauce

550g caster sugar

300ml cream

100g unsalted butter

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 cinnamon stick

• combine the sugar and 200ml water in a saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stir until the sugar dissolves, then brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals, cook until the caramel darkens and starts to smoke (10-15 minutes)

• add the cream, butter, orange juice and cinnamon stick (take care as the hot caramel will spit) stir until dissolved, remove from heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Strain in a jug, stir through the orange zest and set aside

sauce can be kept in an airtight container, in the fridge for a week

soft candied oranges

These soft candied orange slices will be slightly bitter, their bitterness works wonderfully with the sweetness of the caramel drenched pudding.

 
4 unwaxed oranges

500g caster sugar

500ml water

• wash oranges well and carefully cut into 2-3mm slices

• tip the sugar and water into a large pan, stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves

• increase the heat and bring the syrup to a gentle simmer, add the orange slices, continue the gentle simmer for 25 mins, or until the orange skin is almost translucent and can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, you may need to top up your pan with water as you go, to keep the orange slices covered

• carefully transfer the orange slices to a clean jar, pour the syrup over the top, cover your jar with its lid and store in the fridge. Any leftover slices will keep for a week or so, much longer if you use a sterilised jar.