Cake:

• 200g (about 10 dates) Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup freshly boiled water
• 3 Earl Grey tea bags 
• 1 tsp cinnamon  
• 75g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 50g dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

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• Sauce:
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 150g dark brown sugar
• ½ tbsp molasses
• ½ tbsp pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 100ml 35% whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a 9 x 9 inch pan and line with parchment paper.  Leave a slight overhang to use later as a sling to remove the dessert from the pan.
3. Add the tea bags to the boiled water and let steep for 4 minutes.
4. Place the dates in a blender.
5. Add the cinnamon.
6. Pour the tea over the dates and cinnamon in the blender.  
7. Put the lid on the blender and let the dates soften for 10 minutes.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together. 
9. Add the molasses, maple syrup and vanilla, beating until incorporated.
10. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
11. Use a spatula to gently fold the flour into the batter.
12. When the 10 minutes have lapsed, blend dates, tea and cinnamon in the blender until smooth.
13. Use a spatula to fold the date mixture into the batter.
14. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
15. While the cake is in the oven, it’s time to make the sauce!  Add all of the sauce ingredients except the cream to a saucepan and cook over low heat. 
16. Stir with a wooden spoon until butter is melted and the ingredients are combined.
17. Add the cream to the saucepan, turn up the heat, and continue stirring.
18. Once the sauce is bubbling, remove the saucepan from the heat.
19. Set aside ¼ cup of the sauce.
20. Cover the saucepan with a lid to keep the rest of the sauce warm.
21. As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, prick it with a toothpick all over.
22. Pour ¼ cup of the warm sauce onto the cake.
23. Use a small offset spatula to spread the sauce all over the surface of the cake.
24. Let the cake sit for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing to serve.
25. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous pour of the sauce.
26. Store the sauce and the cake in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.