Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease an 8 inch square cake tin.

In a pot, bring the milk to a boil, then remove from heat and mix in the chopped dates and baking soda. Let sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, blend the date mixture until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.

Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and vanilla to the cocoa mixture, and beat together for 5 minutes.

Add the date mixture and eggs to the bowl, and whisk together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a pot over medium heat until melted and smooth.

After the cake has baked, poke holes into it with a knife or skewer, and pour half of the sauce over the cake. Let sit for 30 minutes to soak in.

Cut the cake into slices and serve with ice cream and the remaining sauce.