Preheat the oven at 180ºC conventional oven and prepare a 20x20 cm square baking pan with parchment paper.
Add pitted dates to a food processor and give them a quick blend so they are chopped into small pieces. Keep the chopped dates in the food processor and add baking soda to the dates and pour over the boilling water. Let them soak in the boiled water while preparing the rest of the cake.
200 g soft pitted dates, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 200 ml boiled water
In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, add the butter, dark brown sugar and molasses and mix it on high speed for 3 minutes.
100 g butter, 75 g dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoon molasses or black treacle
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix it together on low speed for about 1 minute. It will look lumpy and won’t collect but that's okay.
2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt and pour it into the dough continuing on low speed, mixing until just combined.
175 g all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Go back to the soaked dates and give it another blend until the dates and water has created a smoother date puree, about 30 seconds.
Add the date paste to the dough and mix it together until combined. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. While the cake bakes, make the toffee sauce.