Just a disclaimer, pudding here is not in reference to the custard-like dessert. Pudding, for the British, refers to a form of cooking (or rather steaming) sweet or savory dishes. To add to the confusion, the word pudding is also used to describe the more commonly used word “Dessert”. What’s for pudding you ask? This glorious Sticky Toffee Date Pudding. A moist date-flavored sponge cake drenched with your favorite deep dark toffee sauce and served warm with ice cream or whipped cream. It’s sticky and messy and easily one of our all-time favorites. The perfect dessert to celebrate Ramadan with your loved ones. Don’t forget the ice cream or whipped cream it helps cut the sweetness of this dessert oops we mean “PUDDING”. ENJOY!
This recipe is adapted from Nigella’s sticky toffee pudding (OUR FAVORITE), we just adjusted the ingredients for more easily accessible ones in our region.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE STICKY TOFFEE DATE PUDDING
HOW TO MAKE STICKY TOFFEE DATE PUDDING
SOAKING THE DATES
Soak the dates with hot water and baking soda will help soften them. Allowing us to turn them into a paste and incorporate them easily into our batter. We like to use Majdool dates but feel free to use and soft date you have on hand.
Remove the pits from your dates then roughly chop them. Place the dates into a heatproof bowl and pour on 200ml (1cup) of boiling water and 1 tsp of baking soda. Allow the dates to sit for 10 minutes to soften. Please use precise measurements for the water.
MAKING THE SPONGE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional, 160°C fan (356°F conventional, 320° fan) and grease a 23×23 cm(9×9 inch) dish with butter, set aside.
Meanwhile, using a stand or hand mixer on medium-high, start beating the softened butter with the dark brown sugar until fluffy and well incorporated (about 4-5 min). If you still have lumps of sugar use a spatula to flatten them out.
Add in your eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the bowl to make sure the mixture is well incorporated.
Lower the speed of your mixer and gradually add in the flour and the baking powder. Mix just until incorporated (do not over mix). The batter should be thick.
Back to the soaked dates, use the back of a fork to mash dates into the water, a loose paste should form. It is fine to still have a couple of bigger pieces.
Fold the date mixture into the cake batter using a spatula until well incorporated.
Pour batter into the prepared baking dish making sure you use a spatula to scrape all the batter out of the bowl. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake we want the cake to be very moist.
MAKING THE TOFFEE SAUCE
While the cake is baking we will make the toffee sauce. In a heavy saucepan on low heat, melt your butter and sugar. Once the butter is melted, use a whisk and mix to help the sugar dissolve.
Once the sugar has dissolved, gently stir in the cream (be careful it will bubble up). Increase the heat to high and continue to cook until the mixture starts to bubble continuously for 1-2 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Once the cake is out of the oven and while hot, using a long wooden stick (or fork) poke the cake all over. Pour ½ cup of your toffee sauce over the hot cake. Use a spatula to spread the sauce to all the edges.
Let the pudding sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Serve after 20-30 minutes with the extra sauce and whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
For leftovers gently heat individual portions in the microwave pour on toffee sauce and ENJOY!
If you make this Sticky Toffee Date Pudding please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thetablediaries on Instagram. We love seeing all the recipes you and your family enjoy.
Sticky Toffee Date Pudding
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 200 gram Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped or use any soft dry dates
- 200 ml boiled water 1 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 75 grams butter (room temperature) plus extra for greasing
- 70 grams dark brown sugar around ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 150 grams all purpose flour 1 cup( spooned and levelled) + 3 tablespoons
- 2 tsp baking powder
For the caramel sauce
- 150 gram butter softened ¾ cup
- 310 gram dark brown sugar 1½ cup
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream 1 cup
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional, 160°C fan (356°F conventional, 320° fan).
- Grease a 23×23 cm (9×9 inch) baking dish with butter, set aside.
- Place the roughly chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour on 1 cup boiling water and bicarbonates of soda. Set aside for 10 minutes while we make the cake batter.
- Using a stand or hand mixer on medium-high, start beating the softened butter with the dark brown sugar until fluffy and well incorporated (about 4-5 min). If you still have lumps of sugar use a spatula to flatten them out.
- Add in your eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the bowl to make sure the mixture is well incorporated.
- Lower the speed of your mixer and gradually add in the flour and the baking powder. Mix just until incorporated (do not over mix). The batter should be thick.
- Use the back of a fork to mash dates into the water, a loose paste should form. It is fine to still have a couple of bigger pieces.
- Fold the date mixture into the cake batter using a spatula until well incorporated.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish making sure you use a spatula to scrape all the batter out of the bowl. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake we want the cake to be very moist.
FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE
- While the cake is baking we will make the toffee sauce. In a heavy saucepan on low heat, melt your butter and sugar. Once the butter is melted, use a whisk and mix to help the sugar dissolve.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, gently stir in the cream (be careful it will bubble up). Increase the heat to high and continue to cook until the mixture starts to bubble continuously for 1-2 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
- Once the cake is out of the oven and while hot, using a long wooden stick (or fork) poke the cake all over.
- Pour ½ cup of your toffee sauce over the hot cake. Use a spatula to spread the sauce to all the edges.
- Let the pudding sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Serve after 20-30 minutes with the extra sauce and whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
- For leftovers gently heat individual portions in the microwave pour on toffee sauce and ENJOY!
