Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding is a must-have when in the United Kingdom. It’s not hard to find when you’re there: This sauce-soaked, date-laden confection is so beloved that you’ll likely see it on most traditional pub dessert menus. It’s even commonplace in Australia and New Zealand under the name “sticky date pudding.” But anywhere else in the world, you may be hard-pressed to find a restaurant baking their own sticky toffee pudding recipe.

Luckily, this traditional British dessert is a breeze to make at home. Simply soak some dates in water, bake them into a cake and serve it warm with a very generous, heavy-handed pour of homemade butterscotch sauce. If you can’t buy that plane ticket to the UK just yet, let this sticky toffee pudding recipe transport you.

What is sticky toffee pudding?

Sticky toffee pudding is a warm, date-loaded sponge cake that’s doused in a warm toffee sauce. Both must be served warm so the viscous toffee sauce can seep through the porous sponge cake, turning the cake into its namesake pudding-like texture.

Ingredients for Sticky Toffee Pudding

• Dates: Pit and coarsely chop up about 12 ounces worth of Medjool dates.
• Water: The dates are soaked in 2-1/2 cups of water to soften.
• Baking soda: Baking soda is sprinkled into the date and water mixture to help soften the dates further.
• Butter: Bring your stick of butter to room temperature so it’s easier to cream with the sugar.
• Sugar: You’ll need 1 and 2/3 cups of granulated sugar to sweeten the sticky toffee pudding. Cakes usually have more sugar than that, but the dates provide a lot of sweetness, so don’t increase the amount of sugar.
• Eggs: Take four eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes prior so they have a chance to come to room temperature. You don’t want cold eggs hitting your softened butter or the butter will seize and cause lumps.
• Vanilla extract: The floral and sweet flavor of vanilla extract pairs nicely with the caramel notes from the dates and butterscotch sauce.
• All-purpose flour: Sponge cakes should be both delicate and strong, and all-purpose flour achieves that texture perfectly.
• Baking powder: Since the baking soda is only used to soften the dates, you’ll need to break out your baking powder, too, to achieve the sponge cake’s signature porous texture and tall structure.
• Butterscotch sauce: This sticky toffee pudding recipe makes a homemade butterscotch sauce from butter, brown sugar, half-and-half, brandy and vanilla.

Directions

Step 1: Soften the dates

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped dates and the water. Bring the mixture to a boil.

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Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Set the mixture aside to let it cool to a lukewarm temperature.

Editor’s Tip: Once the dates have soaked thoroughly, feel free to add them to a food processor to make the mixture extra smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Make the cake batter

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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, five to seven minutes.

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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

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In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

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Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, then stir in the date mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t forget to take the time to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated as you go.

Step 3: Bake

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Pour the cake batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake slightly in its pan on a wire rack.

Editor’s Tip: Once the cake has cooled, poke holes all over so the sauce can seep into the cake.

Step 4: Create the sauce

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Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and half-and-half. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

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Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the brandy and vanilla.

Step 5: Pour on the sauce and serve warm

Serve the sauce warm with the warm cake. If desired, top the cake with whipped cream.

Editor’s Tip: Generously pour the warm sauce over each serving of warm sticky toffee pudding cake, and let the sauce soak into the cake a bit so the texture turns pudding-like.

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Recipe Variations

• Make it with a traditional toffee sauce: Our sticky toffee pudding recipe opts for a butterscotch sauce, but you can make a traditional sticky toffee pudding sauce instead. In a small saucepan, melt a 1/2 cup of cubed butter over medium heat, then stir in 1 cup packed brown sugar and a 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and serve warm with the warm cake.
• Bake individual servings: Instead of baking sticky toffee pudding in one large pan, evenly divide the batter between greased ramekins. They should bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Add a hint of baking cocoa: Deepen the bitterness a smidge with one to two tablespoons of cocoa powder. We’re not exactly looking to make the sticky toffee pudding chocolatey, but rather create a flavor dimension for a more complex and memorable pudding.
• Don’t be shy with baking spices: Clove, nutmeg, ground ginger and cinnamon are all welcomed, cozy additions to the caramel flavors of this sticky toffee pudding cake.

How to Store Sticky Toffee Pudding

Let the sticky toffee pudding cool completely to room temperature. Cover the pan tightly with storage wrap and transfer the sauce into an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for up to three days.

Can you freeze sticky toffee pudding?

Yes, you can freeze sticky toffee pudding. Once the cake is baked and cooled to room temperature, cover the pan with a layer of storage wrap and a layer of aluminum foil, and stash it in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and make the butterscotch sauce fresh.

Can you make sticky toffee pudding ahead of time?

You absolutely can make sticky toffee pudding ahead of time. Bake the cake a day or two before serving. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover the pan tightly with storage wrap and keep it in the fridge. Make the butterscotch sauce, cool it to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, remove the wrapping from the cake and reheat the cake in a 350° oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Rewarm the sauce in a saucepan and serve with the warm cake.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Tips

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What’s the difference between sticky toffee and caramel?

The only difference between sticky toffee and caramel is their type of sugar. Sticky toffee uses brown sugar, whereas caramel uses granulated sugar. However, these two ingredients hardly make a difference in the outcome as they both create a thick, sweet, golden-hued dessert sauce.

What do I serve with sticky toffee pudding?

After the sauce is poured on, sticky toffee pudding is traditionally served with a scoop of store bought vanilla ice cream or a lovely homemade vanilla ice cream. Custard sauce is also a beloved sticky date pudding topping, as is a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.