Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper. You can also use a small ovenproof ceramic dish if you have one.

Place the chopped pitted dates, soy milk and boiling water in a small saucepan. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dates are softened and start to break down. Remove the pot from the heat and roughly mash up the dates with a fork. Add the vegan butter and stir until melted and combined. Tip the date mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the cake mix to form a thick batter.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While the sponge is baking, prepare the sticky toffee sauce. Place all the ingredients in a small pot and stir gently until the sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth. Simmer for a few minutes, then remove the sauce from the heat.

Pierce the warm sponge all over with a fork, then pour half of the sauce on top and set aside to soak through. Serve the pudding warm with scoops of vegan ice cream and extra sticky toffee sauce on the side.

Tip: If the sauce becomes too thick to pour, simply reheat it in the microwave or over your stovetop. We used Flora Plant Butter for this recipe.