Date and coffee syrup cake

Cake batter

1 tsp	Baking soda
70 g	Breadcrumbs, stale not fresh
½ cup	Espresso coffee
150 g	Fresh dates, pitted and chopped (Main)
80 g	Butter, softened
165 g	Caster sugar
4	Eggs
185 g	Self raising flour
⅓ cup	Buttermilk
1 ½ tsp	Ground cinnamon

Coffee syrup

110 g	Caster sugar
½ cup	Vanilla syrup
1 ½ cups	Espresso coffee

Directions

To make the cake

1. Combine breadcrumbs, soda and dates. Stir in espresso and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift flour with cinnamon, fold into butter mixture alternatively with buttermilk.
4. Fold in breadcrumb mixture, spoon into buttered, sugared pudding moulds and bake at 165C for 20 minutes.

To make the coffee syrup

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and reduce to cup.
2. Prick the cakes all over and dip into syrup.