This week’s dish is the third installment in our month of British recipes. We went for a modern classic dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was developed in the UK somewhere after WWII, when people were craving comfort and indulgence. It’s basically a cake baked on top of a layer of toffee sauce, with more sauce poured over top when served. Medjool dates are one of the main ingredients, giving the cake a delicious caramel flavor.
We talk you through making this recipe on Episode 234 of our podcast. If you enjoyed this Sticky Toffee Pudding, you may also like our recipes for Strawberry and Meringue Eton Mess and Victoria Sponge Cake.
Ingredients
For the Toffee Sauce:
2 cups heavy cream or dairy free heavy cream or thick dairy free creamer
½ cup dark brown sugar
2½ tablespoons corn syrup, golden syrup, or molasses
A pinch of salt
For the Pudding:
6 ounces Medjool pitted dates, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups of all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-1 flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy free butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9×9’ baking dish. (Temperature safe, not something that will shatter going from cold to hot.)
To make the toffee sauce, add the cream, brown sugar, syrup or molasses, and salt to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and coats the spoon. Pour half the sauce into the prepared baking dish (keep the other half in the fridge for serving) and place the dish in the freezer.
To make the pudding, in another medium saucepan, heat the dates and water. Once the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Beat for another minute until combined.
Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture, then add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat.
Remove the baking dish from the freezer and pour the batter into dish on top of the toffee sauce. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean of with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool for 10 or 15 minutes of serving immediately. Pour a generous amount of toffee sauce over each helping. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.