Monday night I decided I wanted to bake so I made these Gluten Free Mini Sticky Date Cakes!
I also decided to try an orange caramel sauce drizzled over the top compared to the more traditional sauce. It wasn’t as sweet as I sometimes find the traditional butterscotch/caramel sauce. So I managed the full cake + a scoop of vanilla ice cream just for good measure.
By Tuesday night I decided I needed Sticky Date Cake number 2. This time with the traditional sauce. Now the last mouthful was almost too much but you just can’t go past the traditional sauce. So here’s the recipe for the cakes with both types of sauce in case you feel like baking this week too.

- 1 cup (140g) pitted dried dates
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- 125 g dairy free spread (I used nutelex)
- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups almond meal
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup rice flour
- 50 g dairy free spread (I used nutelex)
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80ml) orange juice
- ¾ cup reduced fat cream
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160° fan-forced. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray; line each hole with baking paper.
- Combine dates, the water and soda in food processor with lid on and stand for 5 minutes then process until smooth.
Beat dairy free spread and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time (mixture will curdle) then transfer to a large bowl; stir in almond meal, coconut and rice flour followed by date mixture.
Divide mixture amongst 12 muffin holes and bake for 25 minutes. Stand in tray for 5 minutes before serving with hot orange caramel or butterscotch sauce.
Melt spread in small frying pan then add sugar and stir over heat until dissolved. Add juice; cook; stirring, until sauce thickens slightly. Allow to slightly cool before serving.
Place the pouring cream, brown sugar and unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until smooth. Allow to slightly cool before serving.
Can you use butter instead of dairy free spread?
Hi Lynn, yes absolutely you can use butter.