Warm up with this Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe made using a loaf tin! This classic dessert features a moist and rich loaf cake that is generously served with a toffee sauce. With the perfect balance of sweetness and warmth, this iconic British dessert is sure to impress your loved ones. The loaf tin method ensures a perfectly sized and easy-to-serve portion for each indulgent slice.
Sticky Toffee Pudding is also called Sticky Date Pudding as a traditional British dessert that isn’t actually that old. Yet it is often found on menus in most pubs at the heart of British culture. Sticky Toffee Pudding's tender crumb interior is thanks to the blended dates that results in a beautiful toffee flavor profile.
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Why you’ll love this
Rich and indulgent
This classic British dessert of date sponge cake and a gooey toffee sauce creates an irresistible flavor profile that is both sweet and a decadent dessert.
Perfect for cold weather
This dessert is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed warm or cold, on its own or paired with ice cream, custard, or whipped cream for a delightful gooey cake. It's a perfect dessert to warm up on a cold winter night.
What is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a classic British dessert that consists of a moist sponge cake made with dates and a rich toffee sauce. It is a decadent and comforting treat that is perfect for indulging in on special occasions or cozy evenings.
Ingredients and substitutions for Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Dates: We want soft and sticky medjool dates as they soften and blend easily. You could substitute with any other type of date you have on hand or could substitute with dried figs if you don't like the taste of dates.
- Boiling water: The water needs to be boiling to be able to sften those dates.
- Butter: Room temperature unsalted butter was used, but salted works as a substitute too. You could try replacing with non dairy butter, but I cannot guarantee the result.
- Sugars: The use of light and dark brown sugar compliments the sweetness from the dates and adds a depth of flavor. You could substitute completely with only light or dark brown sugar. Completely substituting with superfine or caster sugar would only add sweetness removing the caramel undertones beloved in this.
- Egg: As well as adding structure to the loaf, the egg helps to bind everything together so is essential.
- Milk: Whole milk helps add moisture to our loaf and gives it the light result without becoming stodgy. You could replace with creamy non dairy milk.
- Flour: Plain or all purpose flour adds a light texture to the cake and you'll keep a light crumb by only mixing until combined.
- Baking soda and powder: These help the loaf rise for a light crumb and avoid a stodgy result.
- Vanilla extract and salt: The flavor powerhouses that help balance the sweetness and give a depth of flavor within our tender sponge cake.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Sticky Toffee Pudding:
Soak the dates: Soak the dates in boiling water.
1
Beat: Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Eggs a do: Add the egg and beat until combined.
2
Date paste: Blend the dates and mix into the wet mixture.
3
Sift those dries: Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl and toss into the wet ingredients.
4
Fold it: Fold until the batter is smooth and well combined.
5
Bake: Pour batter into your tin, smooth out and bake until golden.
Invert: Invert the loaf whilst warm (not hot) onto your serving plate.
Saucy: Make that sticky toffee sauce!
6
Into the jug: Pour the warm toffee sauce into your jug to keep warm.
7
Pour over: Pour half the sauce over the sticky toffee pudding cake.
8
Slice: Slice portions onto your serving plates.
Serve: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and more sauce and dig in.
Equipment needed to make this
Loaf tin: The loaf tin used here fits 1 kilo or 2 pounds.
Blender: An immersion blender or regular blender helps to blend those soft dates into a paste.
Mixing bowl: A small bowl is needed to soak the dates and a medium or large bowl is perfect for the batter.
Hand or stand mixer: For the date cake, it's best to whip the batter with an electric mixer, though this can be done by hand.
Offset spatula: A small offset spatula will help us create a nice smooth top to the loaf before baking.
Small saucepan: To make that sauce, you'll need a small saucepan or pot.
FAQ's for the best Sticky Toffee Pudding
Yes, Sticky Toffee Pudding can be made in advance. The pudding loaf can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container. When ready to serve, reheat the individual slices in the microwave or in the oven at 100C/210F for 10 minutes at serving time. Whilst warming up the toffee sauce on the stovetop. This way, you can enjoy a freshly warmed and gooey dessert without the hassle of preparing everything from scratch.
Sticky Toffee Pudding can be served on its own, however, it is often served with various toppings to enhance the flavor. Traditional options include pouring over warm toffee sauce as per this recipe, serving with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or custard. These additions add extra richness and provide a delightful contrast to the sweet and sticky pudding.
Certainly! Baking sticky pudding in individual ramekins or a muffin tin requires less baking time also. If baking in a muffin tin or ramekins the baking time needs to be lowered to 12-15 minutes at the same temperature until a skewer comes out clean.
More pudding recipes you'll enjoy
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
Sticky pudding loaf
- 150 grams / 5.3 ounces medjool dates pits remove and roughly chopped
- 60 milliliters / ¼ cup boiling water
- 100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter room temperature
- 50 grams / ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 100 grams / ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 55 grams / 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 80 milliliters / ⅓ cup milk
- 240 grams / 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 5 grams / 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 grams / 1 teaspoon baking powder
Sauce
- 75 grams / 2.65 ounces butter
- 65 grams / ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- 20 grams / 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- 250 milliliters / 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Sticky pudding loaf
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and lightly greaseproof a loaf tin.
- Place the chopped dates into a bowl and top with the hot water. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
- Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add in the egg and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Blend the soaked dates and water until a paste forms.
- Add the date paste, vanilla extract and milk and beat until just combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl and stir.
- Add to the wet ingredients and fold until a cake batter is formed and smooth and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
- Pour into your loaf tin and smooth out on top.
- Bake for 50 minutes until golden on top.
- Invert onto your serving plate.
Toffee Sauce
- Place the butter, brown sugar, salt and 150 milliliters or ? cup of the heavy cream into a saucepan on medium heat.
- Simmer until the sugar has dissolved and butter melted, and it has thickened until it leaves a thick coating on the back of your spoon when you stir it, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the remaining heavy cream, allowing to simmer until golden and it sticks to the back of your spoon, approximately 1 ½ minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pour into your serving jug.
- Pour the toffee sauce over your warm cake.
- Slice and serve with a scoop of ice cream or a thick drizzle of vanilla custard and more warm sauce.
- Enjoy!
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Notes
- Dates: We want soft and sticky medjool dates as they soften and blend easily. You could substitute with any other type of date you have on hand or could substitute with dried figs if you don't like the taste of dates.
- Sugars: The use of light and dark brown sugar compliments the sweetness from the dates and adds a depth of flavor. You could substitute completely with only light or dark brown sugar. Completely substituting with superfine or caster sugar would only add sweetness.
- Loaf tin: The loaf tin used here fits 1 kilo or 2 pounds.
- Make ahead: The pudding loaf can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container. When ready to serve, reheat the individual slices in the microwave or in the oven at 100C/210F for 10 minutes at serving time. Whilst warming up the toffee sauce on the stovetop. This way, you can enjoy a freshly warmed and gooey dessert without the hassle of preparing everything from scratch.
- Baking into individual servings: If baking in a muffin tin or ramekins the baking time needs to be lowered to 12-15 minutes at the same temperature until a skewer comes out clean.
- Serve with: Traditional options include pouring over the warm toffee sauce as per this recipe, serving with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or custard.
Nutrition
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