Sticky Toffee Pudding is a date sponge cake with a sweet toffee sauce, often with whipped cream or ice cream that's commonly served at Christmas.
While I've gone my entire 40+ years without ever trying Sticky Toffee Pudding, I've always been intrigued by it. I always thought it looked and sounded appealing, but I've never ordered it, bought it, or tried to make it. Until now.
I recently decided that this would be the year I would try making Sticky Toffee Pudding, and since I'm hosting Christmas dinner, all of my Christmas guests will get to try it too.
While the dish does involve making two parts (the cake and the toffee sauce), it's not overly complicated. I opted to make individual cakes, which I made in muffin pans, because it made the recipe testing, photographing, then storing until Christmas dinner a little easier (plus who doesn't like having their own personal cake all to themselves), but you can make it as a single cake too.
How to make Sticky Toffee Pudding
Making Sticky Toffee Pudding has two major parts: making the date sponge cake, and making the toffee sauce. Start with making the cake.
I recommend using a non-stick pan coating for this cake, which is simply a 1:1 mixture of neutral cooking oil and flour. One tablespoon of each is enough. This is especially important if you're using a bundt pan, which are prone to sticking, but is also helpful if you're making individual mini-cakes in a muffin pan.
Making the date cake starts with boiling the dates in a little water to make sure they're nice and soft. After they come to a boil, let them sit in the hot water. You can start prepping some of the ingredients while you wait.
While you're waiting for the dates, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set it aside.
When the dates have soaked for 15 minutes, transfer them to the bowl of a food processor (if you don't have one, you could use a blender or immersion blender). Add the brown sugar and process until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process again. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the melted butter.
Whisk the date mixture into the flour mixture until no lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it (about 20-25 minutes for individual cakes, longer for other cake pans). Cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.
While the cake is baking and cooling, you can start making the toffee sauce. You will need an instant-read or candy thermometer for this. Add the cream, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a small to medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and continue to cook until the temperature reaches 240°F and the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you plan to make and serve Sticky Toffee Pudding for Christmas dinner dessert, you'll probably want to make use of the make-ahead instructions, because who has time for anything else on Christmas day?
Sticky Toffee Pudding can be made ahead of time and stored to serve later. If you plan to make it up to two days early, store the cake(s) in an airtight container or zipper bag at room temperature.
If you're making it earlier than two days ahead of time, store the cake(s) in an airtight container or zipper bag in the freezer, and thaw at room temperature the morning you plan to serve it.
Store the toffee sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a week or two in the fridge, then transfer to a small saucepan to reheat immediately before serving. You can thin it with a little heavy cream if it's gotten too thick.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Ingredients
- Canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil - this is only used in the non-stick pan coating to make sure the individual cakes release from the muffin pan. Using this coating is especially important if you plan to bake this in a bundt pan.
- All-purpose flour - a small amount of flour is used to make the non-stick cake pan coating, and it's used in a larger amount in the cake batter.
- Pitted Medjool dates - make sure you don't use dried chopped dates that have been coated with a white starchy powder to prevent them from sticking together. If the dates you purchase aren't pitted, it's easy to do it yourself by using a paring knife to cut a vertical slit in the date, pulling the date open, and removing the pit.
- Water - use whatever water you normally drink. Cold tap water is fine.
- Baking powder
- Salt - this recipe was developed using table salt. If you plan to use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, use ¾ teaspoon in each of the cake batter and the toffee topping.
- Baking soda
- Dark brown sugar - or feel free to use light brown sugar, but the cake will have a slightly milder molasses flavor. You will be using this in both the cake batter and the toffee topping.
- Large eggs
- Vanilla - you will be adding vanilla to both the cake batter and the toffee topping.
- Unsalted butter - you will need butter in both the cake batter and in the toffee topping. It doesn't need to be softened in either case, as it will be melted.
- Whipping cream or heavy cream - you will need this for the sticky toffee topping. It will be helpful to have a little bit left over if you'd like to make whipped cream for serving.
- Corn syrup or golden syrup - this is used for the sticky toffee topping.
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream - this is an optional, but very delicious topping for serving your Sticky Toffee Pudding
Want more Christmas dessert recipes?
Sticky Toffee Pudding Nutrition Notes
This recipe will make approximately 24 individual sticky toffee pudding portions, depending on how big your muffin pans are and how full you fill the cups, and this is what the nutrition information in the recipe below is based on.
If yours are significantly larger or smaller than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
The nutrition information does not include the optional whipped cream or ice cream for serving.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Stir together 1 Tablespoon canola oil and 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour in a small bowl. Use a silicone baking brush to brush the mixture all over the insides of the cups of the muffin pans, making sure there are no large blobs of the mixture anywhere. Set the pans aside.
- Add 8 ounces (227 g) pitted Medjool dates and 1 cup (237 g) water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water starts to boil, remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the dates sit in the hot water for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together 2 cups (235 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Once the dates have been sitting for at least 15 minutes, transfer the date-water mixture to the bowl of a food processor, along with 1 cup (213 g) dark brown sugar. Process until the dates are completely pureed and no lumps remain. Add 4 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla to the food processor and process again. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the melted butter.
- Pour the date mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture, and whisk to combine until no more flour lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling the cups only ⅔ to ¾ full, ensuring that you leave ⅓ to ½-inch (approximately 1-1.25 cm) at the top of the cup so that the batter doesn't overflow to make a large dome. Bake for 20-25 until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. (See the notes section for baking times if using other pan types).
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the edges of each cup to release the cakes. Cool for another 20-25 minutes on a wire rack.
- Add ¾ cup whipping cream, 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (160 g) dark brown sugar, 6 Tablespoons (117 g) corn syrup, and ½ teaspoon salt to a small to medium saucepan. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer, or get an instant-read thermometer ready. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue heating, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 240°F, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Let the mixture cool slightly before serving.
- Place one cake in a small bowl or plate. Top with a small amount of warm toffee sauce, and place a small dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of that, if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
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