Sticky Date Pudding!

So this weekend was beautifully cold and rainy... the perfect setting for some baking! Only problem is that my oven is broken! Yep, the heating element chose to die right before the weekend. But I am not to be stopped so I googled "baking without an oven" and researched until I came across a post about using my sunbeam electric frypan to cook cakes. Now this I had to try! Place a rack inside to elevate the cake and close the lid. As simple as that!

So the following recipe can of course be baked in an oven but if you are without an oven you have to give this a go!

Ingredients

2 pears cored and sliced

1 cup of pitted Dates

1 1/4 cups of water

1 tsp of bi-carb soda

60g of butter cubed

1 cup of tightly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of SR Flour

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Place dates, water and bi-carb into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 mins. Then mash up with a fork.

Stir in chopped butter and mix until it is melted.

Stir in eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract, then fold in flour til just combined

Arrange Pears in the bottom of a greased lined spring-form cake pan. Pour batter on top.

Place in electric frypan on number 8 for 50 mins or until cake is firm.

Alternatively place in working oven at 180c for 35-40 mins.

Stand in pan for 10mins to cool slightly before turning out!

Now for the Sauce...

1/2 cup of water

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of cream

Place water and sugar in saucepan and bring to the boil, boiling until it reaches a golden colour. About 8-10mins. Try hard not to stir... and keep watching as it changes quite fast and you don't want to burn it!!

Take off the heat then pour in 2 cups of cream, stir till no lumps. Be careful as the sugar syrup is extremely hot and will bubble when the cream is added, so use a long handled spoon and large saucepan! 

Refridgerate left over sauce.

Perfect for a cold winter's day or after a walk/bike ride on a freezing afternoon with great friends!

Who says you need an oven to bake!