In this pudding gooey caramel sauce pools around light banana sponge which is studded with buttery pecans. With all the gooeyness of sticky date pudding but less rich and sickly. Divine! 

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients: 

½ cup dates, soaked in boiling water 

2 ripe bananas 

1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed 

2 eggs 

80g butter, melted 

1 ½ cups plain flour 

3 tsp baking powder 

½ tsp cinnamon 

70g pecans 

Sauce 

2 cups boiling water 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

1 heaped tsp cornflour 

70g butter, chopped 

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 170 C fanbake. Butter a large ovenproof dish.
2. Soak dates for 15 minutes, drain dates and blend in a food processor. Add bananas and blend until mixed.
3. In a bowl whisk the eggs and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add melted butter and date and banana puree and mix until combined.
4. Fold in sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon and pecans.
5. Scrape batter into greased dish.
6. Place boiling water, sugar, cornflour and butter in a jug. Stir until butter has melted. Pour over the back of a large metal spoon, over batter mixture.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top has set and cake layer is cooked through.
8. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream, ice cream or custard (or all three!).

Make it your own: 

Add ½ cup chopped pear to the batter. 

Use walnuts instead of pecans for a cheaper alternative. 

Add ½ cup of chopped dark chocolate to the batter. 

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