Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a deliciously gooey British dessert consisting of moist Sponge Cake lathered in warm Toffee Sauce. Also known as Sticky Date Cake in Australia and New Zealand. Medjool Dates are the star of the show here, they add a dense, sticky consistency to the base which is perforated with holes, then penetrated by the rich and creamy Toffee Sauce. Best served warm with a cold glass of Milk or Vanilla Ice Cream. Add some Walnuts or Pecans on top for crunch and added nutrition.
This version is so easy to make; with all the ingredients being added to a food processor and blitzed to a batter before baking. The sauce is made stove top in under five minutes while the cake cools. My kind of baking.
Dates are a revered superfood native to the Middle East, with many references to them in the Holy Quran. This holy fruit of the ages is mentioned 22 times alone in Surat Maryam (the Chapter about the Virgin Mary). Notably, Mary gives birth to Jesus underneath a date tree where she is told by a voice to eat the dates from the tree to nourish her during childbirth and to help ease her labor pains.
Dates are rich in nurtients and are an excellent source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and copper. They contain antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytonutrients. They help regulate blood pressure, maintain energy levels, and support heart, brain, skin and bone health as well as aid in digestion and promote wound healing.
In the UK, Sticky Toffee Pudding is made with the addition of Black Treacle. Since it’s an ingredient that’s difficult to get outside of the UK, I decided not to use it. If you’d like to add it, add 2 Tbsps. Treacle to the cake and 1 Tsp. to the Sauce. Molasses is the closest US equivalent to Black Treacle, albeit stronger; you could try adding just a little if you’d like.
I’m using a 9 inch Square Baking Dish, you can use a circular one too
Organic Ingredients, serves 10-12
12 Large Medjool Dates, quartered
1 Cup A2 Milk
1 Stick or 8 Tbsp. Salted Butter, softened to room temp. or melted stove top
2 Eggs, room temp.
1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1.5 Cups White Spelt Flour or 1 + 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder, aluminum free
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
Toffee Sauce
6 Tbsps. Salted Butter
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Notes:
If you use Unsalted Butter add a pinch of Salt to the Cake and the Sauce
Method:
Line a 9inch square baking dish with parchment paper along the bottom and grease the edges. Preheat your oven for 350f.
Pour Milk into a small saucepan and bring to stove. Heat on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Once boiling, remove from heat. Add in Baking Soda and stir. Add in Chopped Dates and leave for 10 minutes.
Add softened Dates with Milk into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Into the processor add Butter, Eggs, Coconut Sugar and Vanilla Extract and blitz for 1 minute. Add in Flour and Baking Powder and blitz until combined. Pour batter into your baking dish lined with parchment paper and bake in a 350f oven for 35 minutes. Test your cake is done by inserting a bamboo skewer into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, its done.
Leave cake to cool for 15 minutes.
To make Toffee Sauce, combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to medium high heat. Stir well with a whisk. Leave to bubble on medium heat, but watch so it doesn’t burn for 2-3 minutes while it caramelizes and turns a darker brown color.
Release the Cake from the edges by sliding a butter knife round the sides, then carefully flip over onto a flat surface. Peel the parchment paper off and pop the cake back into the baking dish, or onto a serving plate. Using a bamboo or metal skewer, or similar, poke holes throughout the cake, all over. This is so that the Toffee Sauce can penetrate deep into the canter of the cake. Pour approx. half the sauce over the top of the cake. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving. Serve with a drizzle of Toffee Sauce and a glass of Milk, or some Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream.
Pitted, cut into quarters medjool dates softening in boiling milk
The Cake Batter consists of the softened Dates, Milk + Baking Soda blitz in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients
Cake is baked in a 350f oven for 35 minutes and left to cool for 15 minutes
Toffee Sauce is ready while the Cake cools. Simply bring all ingredients to a medium boil stove top while whisking. Cook for 2-3 minutes until a Toffee like consistency is formed
Once cake is cooled, gently release the Cake from the edges by sliding a butter knife round the sides, then carefully flip over onto a flat surface. Peel the parchment paper off and pop the cake back into the baking dish, or onto a serving plate
Using a bamboo or metal skewer, or similar, poke holes throughout the cake, all over. This is so that the Toffee Sauce can penetrate deep into the canter of the cake. Make many holes, triple or quadruple the number you see in this photo
Pour approx. half the sauce over the top of the cake. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Cut and serve right out of the baking dish
Serve with a drizzle of Toffee Sauce and a glass of Milk, or some Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream.
Yum!