Dessert
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe with Warm Toffee Sauce
Intermediateshared by Nibblore Kitchen
This British dessert pairs a tender date sponge with a glossy, buttery toffee sauce that soaks into every bite. Baking the sponge in one dish keeps preparation straightforward, while blitzing the softened dates creates a moist, even crumb. Serve it warm for a comforting dinner-party dessert. • Weigh the dates after removing the stones so the sponge has the correct moisture level. • Do not vigorously mix after adding the flour; gentle folding keeps the sponge light. • The sauce should look slightly loose in the pan because it thickens as it cools. • For neat portions, let the soaked pudding rest for the full 5 minutes before cutting. • Replace dark brown sugar with light brown sugar for a milder caramel flavor. • Use black treacle instead of golden syrup for a darker, slightly bittersweet sauce. • Substitute half-and-half for the double cream; simmer the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes longer to thicken it. • Replace the cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger for a warmer spice note. Refrigerate the cooled pudding and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Freeze the unsauced sponge, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat individual sponge portions in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds; warm the sauce gently on the stovetop or in short microwave bursts, stirring frequently.
Ingredients
- 225 gpitted dates, roughly chopped
- 240 mlboiling water
- 1 tspbaking soda
- 75 gunsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 120 gdark brown sugar
- 2large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 180 gplain flour
- 1 ½ tspbaking powder
- ½ tspfine salt
- ¼ tspground cinnamon
- 100 mlwhole milk
- 100 gunsalted butter, for the sauce
- 170 gdark brown sugar, for the sauce
- 200 mldouble cream, for the sauce
- 1 tbspgolden syrup
- ¼ tspfine salt, for the sauce
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. Butter a 20 cm square baking dish and line its base with baking parchment.
- 2Put the dates in a heatproof bowl, pour over the boiling water, and stir in the baking soda. Leave for 10 minutes, then blend with an immersion blender until mostly smooth; a few small date pieces are welcome. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- 3Beat the 75 g softened butter and 120 g dark brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until lighter and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then mix in the vanilla.
- 4Whisk the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl. Fold half into the butter mixture, followed by the milk. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients, then add the date mixture and stir just until the batter is uniform.
- 5Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and level the surface. Bake for 32 to 38 minutes, until the sponge has risen, springs back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted in the center emerges without wet batter.
- 6While the sponge bakes, make the sauce. Combine the 100 g butter, 170 g dark brown sugar, double cream, golden syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then bring to a low simmer. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened; remove from the heat.
- 7Let the baked sponge stand for 5 minutes. Prick it all over with a skewer, slowly spoon 150 ml of the warm sauce across the surface, and leave it to soak in for 5 minutes.
- 8Cut the pudding into 8 squares and serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce spooned over each portion. If the sauce has thickened while standing, reheat it over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until pourable.