preheat the oven to 180˚C.
grease a cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
chop the dates roughly and pour the boiling water over them. leave to cool.
add all the other ingredients to the dates and water and proces in a food processor or blender until almost smooth (with little bits of dates still visible).
pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes. the sponge should be risen and slightly firm to the touch. the inside should feel moist.
topping:
pour the topping while still hot over the cake portions or warm everything up slightly in the microwave.