Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

• 🧪Baking Soda1 tsp
• 💧Hot Water240 ml
• 🧈Unsalted Butter, softened85 g
• 🍯Dark Brown Sugar150 g
• 🥚Large Eggs, room temperature2
• 🫙Vanilla Extract2 tsp
• 🌾All-Purpose Flour180 g
• 🧪Baking Powder2 tsp
• 🧈Salted Butter, for the sauce100 g
• 🍯Dark Brown Sugar, for the sauce200 g
• 🥛Heavy Cream, for the sauce240 ml
• 🫙Vanilla Extract, for the sauce1 tsp

Contains Dairy, Eggs, Gluten. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Add the Pitted Dates to a heatproof bowl with the Baking Soda and Hot Water.

2. 2

   Stir and let them stand for about 10 minutes. The dates should look swollen and jammy at the edges; if any pieces still feel firm, press them gently with a spoon and give them a few more minutes to drink in the liquid.

   10 min
3. 3

   Cream the butter

   In a mixing bowl, beat the Unsalted Butter and Dark Brown Sugar together until the mixture turns pale, fluffy, and a little gritty, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl if the sugar clings to the sides, because even mixing now helps the sponge bake up tender instead of dense.

   2 min
4. 4

   Beat in the eggs

   Beat the Large Eggs into the creamed butter mixture one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the batter looks smooth and glossy. If it starts to look slightly curdled, keep whisking and it will come back together once the flour goes in.

   3 min
5. 5

   Whisk the All-Purpose Flour and Baking Powder together in a separate bowl.

6. 6

   Fold them into the batter just until no dry flour patches remain. Stop as soon as the mixture looks thick and even, because overmixing now makes the sponge chewy instead of tender.

   2 min
7. 7

   Stir in the dates

   Fold the softened date mixture and the Vanilla Extract through the batter until the dates are evenly dotted throughout. The batter should look speckled and loose, with no wet pocket of fruit hiding at the bottom; if the fruit sinks, lift from the bottom of the bowl a few extra times.

   2 min
8. 8

   Fill the dish

   Scrape the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon so it sits level from corner to corner. The surface should look even and slightly glossy, with no dry ridges left behind; tap the dish once on the counter to pop large air pockets if you see them.

   3 min
9. 9

   Bake the pudding

   Bake the dish in a preheated oven at 350°F until the top is deeply golden and the centre springs back when you press it lightly, about 25 to 30 minutes. If the top browns before the middle feels set, lay a loose piece of foil over it and keep baking so the crumb finishes without drying out.

   28 min
10. 10

    Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add the Salted Butter and Dark Brown Sugar, stirring with a whisk until the mixture melts together and turns smooth, about 3 minutes. It should look glossy and sandy at first.

    3 min
11. 11

    Become a bubbling amber syrup; if the sugar clings to the bottom, lower the heat and keep whisking so it doesn’t scorch.

12. 12

    Pour the Heavy Cream into the bubbling sauce in a slow stream, whisking constantly so it emulsifies into a smooth caramel.

13. 13

    Let it simmer for about 2 minutes. The sauce should thicken just enough to coat the back of a spoon and smell rich, buttery, and toasted; if it looks split, keep whisking over low heat until it comes back together.

    2 min
14. 14

    Finish the sauce

    Stir in the last Vanilla Extract and let the sauce simmer for about 30 seconds, just until it smells rounder and the surface goes from foamy to smooth. Take it off the heat as soon as it looks glossy and unified, because overcooking can make it too thick to pour cleanly.

    1 min
15. 15

    Rest the pudding

    Leave the baked pudding in the dish for about 10 minutes so the crumb settles and the sauce can soak in without collapsing the structure. The top should stay springy while the edges pull away a touch from the dish; if you cut in too soon, the sponge can slump instead of slicing neatly.

    10 min
16. 16

    Sauce and serve

    Spoon the warm toffee sauce over the pudding in the baking dish, letting it pool into the cracks and sink into the sponge for about 1 minute. Serve it right away while the top is glossy and the sauce still runs slowly at the edges, because that contrast between soft cake and hot caramel is what makes the first bite special.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving