Sticky Toffee Rum Cake

1. Preheat your grill to 325°F (163°C) preparing to use indirect heat. Place a baking stone over the unlit burners to preheat as well.
2. In a saucepan, bring the rum, dates, and baking soda to a boil. Then immediately kill the heat and allow everything to cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. It takes up to 5 minutes and will almost look like whipped cream. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating until just combined.
5. Using an immersion blender, to puree the dates until they aren’t fully smooth, but not too lumpy. If you do not wish to blend the date mixture, you can mash them with a fork, however, this will leave whole chunks of date in the cake. Add the milk to the cooled date mixture.
6. Alternating between the flour and milk mixtures, stir in each until both are fully incorporated.
7. Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan, two 8x2-inch round pans, or a 13x9 rectangle. Use baking spray or rub the pan with butter and then dust with flour, paying close attention to ensure everything is thoroughly coated.
   PRO TIP: using different pans will result in different baking times.
8. Pour the dough into the prepared cake pan and gently tap out some of the bubbles with your hand.
9. Place the cake onto the preheated baking stone in your BBQ and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with a few tender crumbs, but mostly clean. Remove the cake from the grill and allow it to begin to cool in the cake pan.
10. After 10 to 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a cake plate to finish cooling.
11. While waiting for your cake to cool, make the Butter Rum Drizzle. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and rum. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool a little, then divide the Butter Rum Drizzle in half.
    PRO TIP: brown the butter for this sauce for an even more amazing flavor.
12. Once cool, put the cake back into the bundt pan, and using a skewer, poke holes into the bottom of the cake. Pour half of the Butter Rum Drizzle over the bottom of the cake. Allow the cake to sit upside down for up to 2 hours to absorb the drizzle.
13. Finally, make the Sticky Toffee Sauce bring the remaining Butter Rum Drizzle to a simmer and add the whipping cream, stirring until thickened.
14. Turn the soaked cake onto a serving platter and slice. Top with the Sticky Toffee Sauce and some cream or ice cream. Pair this decadent dessert with a 10-year tawny port or a chilled Sauternes. Or try a spiced ale that is usually available during the holiday season.

As you gather with loved ones this holiday season, I hope this Sticky Toffee Rum Cake brings warmth and joy to your celebrations. The rich flavors and delightful twist on a classic are sure to impress your guests and create lasting memories. Don’t hesitate to share your own baking adventures by sharing on our social pages like Facebook and TikTok, using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrill. I can’t wait to hear how your version turns out!

Happy Grilling!