I’ve got a rich, nostalgic sticky toffee pudding for you today, just in time for the weekend. This is the kind of comforting bake that fills the kitchen with the warm scent of caramel and the promise of something delicious. The sponge is soft and beautifully moist, and I haven’t been shy with the toffee sauce – so if you have a sweet tooth this recipe is absolutely for you.
If you’re entertaining on a chilly weekend this is the perfect warm dessert to share with your guests. It’s indulgent but simple to prepare. The molasses and dates add richness to the cake, and once that buttery sauce has soaked into the sponge each bite becomes irresistibly luscious. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some homemade custard.
Sticky toffee pudding is timeless, don’t you think? It’s cosy, comforting and rather decadent. This crowd-pleaser will hit the spot over the winter season, enjoy!
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
Date cake
- 250 g pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 5 ml (1 tsp) bicarb
- 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
- 100 g butter, room temperature
- 160 g light brown sugar
- 50 g molasses
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- 2 large eggs
- 200 g cake flour
- 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1.25 ml (¼ tsp) fine salt
- vanilla ice cream, to serve
Toffee sauce
- 130 g light brown sugar
- 250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
- 80 g butter
- pinch of fine salt
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
1.) Preheat the oven to 170ºC and grease a deep 20 cm square oven dish.
2.) Place the dates in a bowl. Sprinkle the bicarb over the top and cover with water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Pour the dates and water into a food processor and blend into a paste, (alternatively you can mash by hand). Set aside to cool.
3.) Cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix in. Add the eggs one at a time and mix in. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix in. Fold in the date paste.
4.) Pour the mixture into the greased dish and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Have the sauce ingredients ready to use during the last part of the baking time.
5.) Prepare the sauce during the last 10 minutes of baking time. Place the sugar, cream, butter and salt in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Allow to boil gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
6.) Remove the pudding from the oven and use a skewer to poke holes all over the surface. Pour the hot sauce over the pudding. Leave to stand for 5 – 10 minutes to allow the sauce to soak in, then serve warm with ice cream.
Cupcakes & Couscous 