Sticky Toffee Pudding
Date cake with hot caramel sauce, and the dates are soaked in baking soda water beforehand, not plain water.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Servings
- 8 pieces
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cooking & baking
- 35 min
Date cake with hot caramel sauce, and the dates are soaked in baking soda water beforehand, not plain water. The baking soda is not a leavening agent here, but breaks down the cell walls of the dates so they completely dissolve into the batter. Without this step, pieces remain and the cake does not get dark.
Why this works
The baking soda in the soaking water is the step that distinguishes this recipe from an ordinary date cake, and it works on three levels. First, it raises the pH, causing the pectins in the date cell walls to break down, so the fruit dissolves completely instead of remaining as pieces in the batter. Second, an alkaline environment significantly accelerates the Maillard reaction; this is why the cake turns a deep dark brown even though it only bakes for 35 minutes. Third, together with the acidic date sugar, it provides additional leavening. The toffee sauce works on the same principle as any caramel: brown sugar and butter are boiled with cream until water evaporates and the sugar concentration is high enough for the typical chewiness. It is poured hot over the warm cake because it then soaks in instead of sitting on top.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Soak dates in baking soda water
Pour boiling water over the chopped dates, stir in the baking soda, and let everything sit for twenty minutes. It will foam up briefly, which is correct. The baking soda breaks down the cell walls of the dates so they disappear into the batter and simultaneously color it deep dark.
- 2
Mix the batter
Beat the butter and brown sugar until light, stir in the eggs one at a time, and fold in the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Finally, add the date mixture along with its liquid. The batter is very liquid, which is intentional and is the reason for the moist crumb.
- 3
Bake for 35 minutes
Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and bake at 180 °C for about 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. The cake should be deep dark brown, which is the effect of the alkaline environment, not a sign of baking too long.
- 4
Cook the toffee sauce
Bring the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt to a boil and let everything simmer gently for five minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. It remains thinner than you might expect, but it becomes significantly thicker as it cools.
- 5
Pour over warm
Pierce the warm cake several times with a skewer and pour half of the hot sauce over it. It soaks into the holes, hence the name "sticky". Wait five minutes, then cut into pieces and serve with the remaining sauce.
Our best tips
- Do not omit the baking soda. It is not a leavening agent, but the reason why the dates disappear and the cake gets dark.
- Pour the sauce hot over the warm cake. Applied cold, it stays on top, but hot, it soaks into the pierced holes.
- It is even better on the second day. The cake continues to soak overnight, and reheated in the microwave with a spoonful of sauce, it tastes like fresh.
Tasty variations
As individual puddings
Fill into eight small ramekins and bake for only 20 minutes. This is how they are classically served in British pubs, turned out and covered with sauce.
With vanilla ice cream
Instead of cream, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast between hot sauce and cold ice cream is at least as common in Great Britain as custard.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 650 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 87 g |
| – of which sugar | 62 g |
| Fat | 32 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
Where the 650 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Why is baking soda added to the soaking water?
It raises the pH and thereby breaks down the cell walls of the dates so they completely dissolve into the batter. At the same time, the alkaline environment accelerates browning, hence the deep dark color after only 35 minutes.
How many calories does Sticky Toffee Pudding have?
Around 650 kcal per piece for eight pieces, with sauce. It is a dessert that cannot be downplayed, as dates, brown sugar, butter, and cream are all necessary for it to work.
Why is my batter so liquid?
Because it is supposed to be. The date mixture brings 250 ml of liquid, and this is exactly what creates the characteristically moist crumb. Additional flour would make the cake dry.
Can I prepare it in advance?
Very well, it even gets better overnight. Store the cake and sauce separately and briefly reheat both, 30 seconds per portion in the microwave is enough.
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