Sticky Toffee Pudding

Name: Sticky Toffee Pudding
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 8 ounces (225 g) pitted dates, finely chopped; 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water; 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda; 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup (150 g) packed dark brown sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt; 1 cup (200 g) packed dark brown sugar; 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt; Vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream, optional, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Soak chopped dates with boiling water and baking soda, fold them into a brown-sugar cake batter, and bake at 350°F. Simmer butter, brown sugar, and cream into a quick toffee sauce, then soak the warm cake and serve with more sauce.

Jump to Recipe

Sticky Toffee Pudding is not a custard pudding in the American sense. It is a very soft British date cake paired with enough warm toffee sauce to make the name feel reasonable. The dates mostly disappear into the crumb, bringing moisture and a deep caramel-like sweetness without turning the cake into fruitcake.

The sauce should simmer only long enough to become glossy and slightly thick. Half goes onto the warm cake so it can soak into the surface; the rest stays loose for serving. If you want the full restaurant treatment, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream while the pudding is still warm.

Prep25 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total1 hr 20 min

Serves9 servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

Servings

8 ounces (225 g) pitted dates, finely chopped
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
Toffee sauce: 1 cup (200 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
Vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream, optional, for serving

Instructions

1Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Put the chopped dates in a bowl, pour over the boiling water, stir in the baking soda, and let stand 10 minutes. Mash lightly with a fork, leaving some texture.
2Beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
3Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then fold in the soaked dates and all of their liquid until evenly combined.
4Spread the batter in the dish and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
5While the cake bakes, combine the 1 cup brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
6Poke the warm cake all over with a skewer. Slowly spoon about half of the warm toffee sauce over the surface and let it stand 10 minutes.
7Cut into squares and serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce. Add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 9 servings.

560Calories

5 gProtein

73 gCarbohydrates

29 gTotal Fat

18 gSaturated Fat

3 gFiber

55 gTotal Sugars

220 mgSodium

135 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Chop the dates small enough that they melt into the cake rather than leaving large chewy pieces.
Do not drain the soaked dates. Their soaking liquid is part of the cake formula and carries moisture into the crumb.
Keep the toffee sauce at a gentle simmer. Boiling hard can make it too thick once it cools.

Substitutions

dark brown sugar → light brown sugar The sauce and cake will be lighter in color and a little less molasses-forward.

heavy cream → half-and-half The sauce will be thinner and less rich, but it will still work.

8-inch square baking dish → nine individual ramekins Begin checking around 20 minutes because smaller puddings bake faster.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate the cake and sauce separately, covered, for up to 4 days. Warm the cake gently and reheat the sauce over low heat or in short microwave bursts before serving.

Make Ahead

Bake the cake up to 2 days ahead and make the sauce separately. The cake can be frozen tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm before soaking with reheated sauce.

Allergen Note

Contains wheat, egg, and milk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sticky Toffee Pudding taste strongly like dates?

Not usually. The dates soften into the batter and mostly contribute moisture and caramel-like depth rather than a distinct dried-fruit flavor.

Why do I add baking soda to the dates?

The alkaline baking soda helps soften the dates and breaks them down into a smoother mixture that disperses through the cake.

Can Sticky Toffee Pudding be made ahead?

Yes. Bake the cake and prepare the sauce separately, refrigerate, then reheat both before serving. It is one of the better make-ahead warm desserts.

How thick should the toffee sauce be?

Warm sauce should be pourable and glossy, roughly like warm caramel. It thickens as it cools, so do not reduce it until it is heavy in the saucepan.