Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm springform tin or 8 x 200ml ramekins (see note).

Use a pair of kitchen scissors to roughly chop the dates. Place in a heatproof bowl with the baking soda, then pour over the boiling water. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure they are thoroughly mixed through.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, then stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour in the dates and the water they have been in, then mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin (or ramekins if you are making individual puddings) and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes for the 20cm size, 35-40 minutes for the individual puddings, until risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the pudding with hot toffee sauce.