Preheat the oven to 180C, grease your baking tin - I used a 9 inch bundt cake tin but you can use a regular 8inch tin
Drain your dates then blend them with the milk and oil using a hand-held blender.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together then stir in the blended dates paste. Fold in the flour, bicarb of soda, spices and walnuts.
Pour the cake mix into your tin then place in the middle of the oven for 35 - 45 minutes. At 35 minutes, check the cake with a skewer and if it’s not cooked leave it in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make your sauce. Drain the dates and place in a bowl. Scoop the coconut cream off the top of the water in the refrigerated tin of coconut milk and blend this with the dates using a hand held blender. You’re looking for a spreadable consistency - if it’s a little thick you can add a tablespoon of the coconut water left in the tin.
Once the cake is cooked all the way through, remove it from the oven and place the cake in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool. Then gently tip the tin upside down and release the cake onto the wire rack.
Either serve the cake whilst it’s still warm with the caramel on the side or serve when it’s cooled. A scoop of ice-cream would be delicious too if you’re serving it warm.