Sticky Toffee Pudding
Warm British date sponge cake soaked in a glossy homemade butterscotch sauce. Bake it in an 8-inch square pan for sharing or in seven individual molds for a tender, moist dessert ready in 50 minutes.
Equipment
- pudding moulds
- 20 cm / 8 inch square cake pan
- Potato masher
- Skewer
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 280 g / 9 oz pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1 tsp baking soda / bi carb soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 80 g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar tightly packed
- 1 1/2 cups thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 70 g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter
Serving
- Ice cream or dolloping cream
Instructions
- Set the oven to 180 °C/350 °F, or 160 °C fan-forced. Allow it to reach temperature before baking the sponge.
- Butter 7 pudding molds, or butter a 20 cm / 8 inch square cake pan and line it with parchment extending above the sides. The parchment overhang provides handles for lifting the sharing cake.
Mashed Dates
- Cover the chopped dates with the baking soda and boiling water, wait 10 minutes, then crush them thoroughly with a potato masher or fork. Keep all the liquid and aim for a dark, loose, porridge-like mixture without large firm pieces.
Batter
- Beat the softened butter with the loosely packed brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Stop when the mixture looks smooth and evenly combined.
- Beat the eggs into the butter mixture until fully incorporated. No separate streaks of egg should remain.
- Add the flour, distribute the baking powder over it, and mix just until the flour disappears. The mixture should have no visible dry flour pockets.
- Mix in the mashed dates and all their liquid briefly, then use either baking format below. The dates should spread evenly throughout the batter, which may look loose or slightly uneven.
One Pudding
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared square pan and bake for 35 minutes, checking the center with a skewer. A clean skewer indicates that the sponge is ready.
- Pierce the hot sponge across its surface about 40 times with a skewer, distribute 1/2 cup warm butterscotch sauce over it, and allow 10 minutes for absorption. The sauce should sink into the holes rather than remain entirely on top.
- Lift the soaked cake using the parchment handles, cut it into portions, and serve warm with the remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream. The crumb should be moist, with sauce soaking into the cut edges.
Baking Individual Puddings
- Divide the batter among the prepared pudding molds, stopping at 2/3 full. The space above the batter allows the sponges to rise.
- Bake the individual puddings for 25 minutes and check their centers with a skewer. The skewer should emerge clean rather than coated in wet batter.
- Make about 10 skewer holes in each hot pudding, spoon 1 tbsp warm butterscotch sauce over each, and allow 10 minutes for soaking. The sauce should gradually absorb into the warm tops.
- Invert the molds onto serving plates and serve the puddings warm with the remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream. Each pudding should hold its shape while keeping a tender, moist interior.
Butterscotch Sauce
- Heat the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring after the butter melts and bringing the mixture to a simmer. Look for gentle bubbling rather than a vigorous rolling boil.
- Maintain the simmer for 2 minutes, stir once during that time, then take the saucepan off the heat and serve the sauce warm. The finished sauce should look glossy and remain pourable.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Do not drain the soaking water from the dates. Mash the softened fruit directly in its liquid until it looks like loose, dark porridge so the batter stays moist.
Texture tip: Mix the flour in before adding the dates to easily spot dry pockets, then fold the date mixture in briefly to avoid overdeveloping gluten and making the crumb tough.
Sauce tip: Simmer the butterscotch sauce gently over medium heat for just 2 minutes so it stays glossy and pourable rather than turning grainy or overly thick.
Storage and reheating: After completing the initial sauce soak, cool the sponge and refrigerate it covered, keeping the reserved sauce in a separate covered container. Reheat sponge portions gently in the microwave or covered in the oven, and warm the reserved sauce separately before serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.