The Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Now I know this seems like a massive brag, but this really is the best Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe. I love Sticky Toffee Pudding and this recipe ticks all the boxes, the pudding is light and not overly sweet and the sauce is silky, creamy and has a deep sweet caramel flavour that you and your guests will find hard to resist. I don’t have a sweet tooth but this dessert is so good, I often can finish a bowl and have seconds of the sauce over ice cream. It is pure festive indulgence.
There is nothing more satisfying than serving a dessert that everyone absolutely loves and if etiquette allowed, they would lick their bowls. This dessert achieves just that. It is a rare intergenerational dessert enjoyed by absolutely everyone.
A Summer Twist
I offered to bring a dessert to a friend in the summer and her daughter asked for my Sticky Toffee Pudding! The thought of a hot pudding after a BBQ did not sit well, but neither did a request from a 9 year old being denied. So I trailed the mixture as a cupcake. I served the pudding as cup cakes, with the warm toffee sauce drizzled over the cakes and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Thank you Roxy without your request I would have never known that this would be soooo delicious and a fab way to serve Sticky Toffee pudding in the Summer months.
- * 370g chopped dates(see note)
- 1½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger
- **90g unsalted butter (see note)
- 250g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 185g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon of mixed spice
- Sauce Ingredients
- **150g unsalted butter
- 230g soft brown sugar
- 80ml golden syrup
- 185ml double cream
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or gas mark 4.
- Grease and line the base of a 23cm (9 inch) diameter cake tin or rectangular dish.
- Put the chopped dates in a deep pot with 440ml of water.
- Bring to the boil then remove from the heat, add the bicarbonate of soda and ginger.
- The date mixture will fizz up so make sure your pot is deep enough.
- I like the mixture to be smooth, so I blend the date mixture with a stick blender until smooth.
- Leave the mixture to stand, so that it is cool to the touch.
- Cream together the 90g of butter, sugar and 1 egg.
- Beat in the remaining eggs one at a time, the mixture may look like it has curdled but don't worry.
- Fold in the sifted flour and spice, add the date mixture and stir until mixed.
- Do not worry this is a very runny mixture this is what makes it so light.
- Pour into mixture into the tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cover with foil if the top is over browning during cooking.
- Leave the pudding for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate with a lip.
- To make the toffee sauce, stir all the ingredients in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Stirring continuously,
- Serve the sauce over the pudding and with whipped double cream and/or ice cream.
- Enjoy
*Fresh chopped dates are no good as they do not mush when bicarbonate of soda is added.
**Use butter and not vegetable plant substitutes, as you lose the toffee taste of the pudding.
Make Ahead
You can prepare the pudding the night before and once cooled store in an airtight container.
To reheat place the pudding in a dish wrapped in foil at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and stab the top of the cake all over and spread 4-6 tablespoons of the sauce over the top of the pudding.
Grill until the toffee sauce bubbles (2-3mins).
Serve immediately with the fresh double cream or ice cream.
The sauce is also delicious as an ice cream topping in summer or winter.
I hope you will make a Sticky Toffee Pudding over the festive season, it is truly a delicious dessert that everyone will love.
