Sticky Toffee Pudding

A warm, moist British sponge cake studded with sweet dates, drenched in a rich buttery toffee sauce. Deeply comforting and best served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a pour of cream.

By YumYum Editorial · Baking & Desserts

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 55 min · Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream (for sauce)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (for sauce)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for sauce)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Pour boiling water over the chopped dates and stir in baking soda; let sit 10 minutes to soften.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
4. Beat softened butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, then beat in eggs one at a time and vanilla.
5. Alternate folding in the flour mixture and the date mixture (with its soaking liquid) until just combined.
6. Pour batter into the prepared dish and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back.
7. While the cake bakes, make the sauce: simmer cream, brown sugar, and butter together in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes until thickened and glossy.
8. Poke holes across the warm cake with a skewer, pour half the toffee sauce over it to soak in, then serve slices warm with the remaining sauce.