Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a 23cm square tin with greaseproof paper.

Bring the dates to the boil with 200ml of water then take the pan off the heat.

Leave the pan to stand for five minutes then give the fruit a quick squash with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.

Add the bicarbonate of soda and ginger and mix well.

While the dates are soaking, cream the butter and sugar together before beating in the eggs, adding the flour spoonful by spoonful until thoroughly combined. Add the date mixture (and a spoonful of mixed spice if you like) and stir once more until the batter is smooth.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes until a skewer poked in comes out clean; cover the sponge with tin foil for the last couple of minutes if you find the top is browning too quickly.

To make the sauce, add the butter, sugar and cream to a large pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. When you can no longer feel the sugar granules with your spoon, turn the heat up a fraction and gently simmer for three minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Brush a little sauce over the top and sides of the pudding to make a sticky glaze, then cut into slices. Serve with an extra helping of sauce poured over each slice, along with a good dollop of cream, custard or ice cream.