Elaine's Sticky Date Pudding!

Below is the recipe for Elaine's Sticky Date Pudding all the way from Tasmania! As promised!
It is simply delicious and worth a go! Thanks, Elaine!

2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 ¾ c. water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 heaped teaspoon powdered ginger
90 grams butter(6 TB.)
1 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
Preheat oven to 180C (=350 F)
Grease base of 23 cm cake pan.( 23 cm = 9.1 in)

1. Put dates in a pan with 1 3/4 cup of water, bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
2. Add the baking soda and ginger and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Coarsely mash with potato masher.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs, one at a time.
4. Fold in sifted flour and spice, add date mixture and stir until well combined. 5. Pour into cake pan and bake for 55 - 60 min. Cake will pull away from the edges of the pan and have a shiny appearance on top when done.
6. Cut into squares and serve with Caramel Sauce. (May need some vanilla ice cream as well on the side as this is quite rich!).

Caramel Sauce
150 grams butter (10 TB.)
1 cup soft brown sugar
1/3 cup of golden syrup (you can try substituting it with 2 parts light corn syrup and 1 part molasses if you can’t find this, but a lot of markets have it)
3/4 cup of cream
Put all the ingredients in a pan and stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Simmer uncovered, for three minutes. Serve caramel sauce warmed with pudding.