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The dessert, From around the world

Sticky toffee pudding

Sticky toffee pudding is an English date cake topped with warm toffee sauce, serving 6. It takes 30 minutes of active work and is made entirely the day before, you only need to reheat it before serving. It's rated easy and costs about €1.70 per person, and the key to success is the date puree that keeps the cake so moist.

I'm serving you a sticky toffee pudding, an English date cake drowned in warm toffee sauce with a scoop of ice cream on top.

Sticky toffee pudding
For
6 people
Work
30 min
Total time
1 h 25
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.70
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Under a layer of warm toffee sauce sits a soft date cake that almost melts on the tongue. The texture comes from dates soaked in boiling water with baking soda, which break down into a puree and soak through the whole batter. The sauce, cooked with butter, brown sugar and cream, brings that caramel note that gives the dessert its character.

This is a fall and winter dessert that wins over the whole table, kids included, perfect for a family dinner or a night with friends when you want something warm and comforting without spending the evening in the kitchen. It works well after a dinner with bolder flavors, when you want a simple English touch to finish the meal.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 4 steps, 55 min
  2. The same day Nothing to do
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 10 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

The day before, bake the cake and make the toffee sauce completely, then keep both covered in the fridge. Just before guests arrive, cut the cake into squares, spoon over some sauce and reheat for ten minutes in a low oven. Right before serving, warm the rest of the sauce gently and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each plate.

The ingredients

6 people

Pantry

  • Pitted dates 250 g
  • Boiling wateroften in the pantry 25 ml
  • Baking sodaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Brown sugar for the cakeoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 200 g
  • Baking powderoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Brown sugar for the sauceoften in the pantry 150 g

Dairy

  • Butter for the cake 80 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Butter for the sauce 100 g
  • Heavy cream 25 ml

Frozen foods

  • Vanilla ice cream 50 ml

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Chop the dates, cover them with boiling water and the baking soda, and let them soak. 15 min

    Mash them with a fork after ten minutes, they turn into a puree.

  2. Beat the soft butter with the brown sugar, add the eggs, the flour and the baking powder, then the date puree.

    Don't worry if the batter looks runny, that's normal.

  3. Pour into a buttered pan and bake at 180°C until a knife comes out clean. 35 min

    A square pan gives you neat squares to coat with sauce.

  4. Melt the brown sugar and butter with the cream for five minutes to make the toffee sauce. 5 min

    Let it simmer gently without stirring, the sauce stays smooth and thick.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Cut the cake into squares, spoon a little sauce over each and reheat for ten minutes in a low oven. 10 min

    The cake soaks up the warm sauce and becomes irresistible.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Serve the warm squares with the rest of the warm sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

    Reheat the sauce gently in a saucepan, it stays fluid without boiling.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use soft, sweet dates, dry ones give a grainier puree and a less moist cake.
  • Butter the pan generously, right into the corners, the cake is delicate and sticks easily once baked.
  • Always keep some extra toffee sauce aside for serving, even after you've already poured some over the cake to reheat it.

The variations

  • Swap the dates for pitted prunes for a slightly tangier flavor, the texture stays the same.
  • For a dairy free version, use plant based margarine and coconut cream instead of butter and heavy cream.
  • For kids, skip the warm sauce and serve the squares with a drizzle of cold caramel and the scoop of ice cream.

What to serve it with

  • A scoop of vanilla ice cream
  • Black tea alongside
  • Fresh berries for some tang

Storage

Keep the cake and sauce separately in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a sealed container. The cake freezes well, the sauce doesn't. Always reheat gently, in a low oven for the cake and in a saucepan for the sauce.

Questions about this recipe

Can you replace the dates with another dried fruit?

Pitted prunes work very well and give a similar result, with a slightly tangier flavor. Avoid firmer dried fruits like apricots, which don't break down into a puree the same way.

Why use baking soda with the dates?

Baking soda softens the dates during soaking and helps the cake rise properly. It also tones down the natural tartness of the dates a bit.

How should you plate this dessert for guests?

Cut the cake into clean squares, spoon warm sauce generously over the top and add the scoop of ice cream right before serving. The ice cream starting to melt into the warm sauce is what makes the plate.

Can the cake be frozen already topped with sauce?

It's better to freeze the cake on its own, without sauce, to keep its texture. Make the sauce fresh or freeze it separately, then put everything together when you reheat.

Can a sticky toffee pudding be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 30 min of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 4 steps, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a sticky toffee pudding?

Allow 1 h 25 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 30 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "easy".

How many calories are in a sticky toffee pudding?

About 650 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a sticky toffee pudding cost?

About €1.70 per person, that's €10.20 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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