All this cold weather has me craving COOOZZZZYYY food, and this sticky date cake with toffee sauce absolutely fits the bill.
I’ve shared a “traditional” sticky toffee pudding recipe that is also absolutely amazing, but couldn’t keep this date cake a secret from you any longer. It’s got some similarities, but is definitely not identical.
I’ve made this toffee date cake twice, and the batter looked pretty different each time…one was very dark (likely more date-forward) and the other much lighter. But both baked up deliciously.
Pro tip: splurge on the medjool dates without pits, to save yourself some time.
Pit and roughly chop the dates and place them in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and stir in the baking soda. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. To be extra safe you can line the bottom with a fitted rectangle of parchment paper.
To make the cake batter, blend date-water mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and sugars. Whisk in the eggs, then salt.
Using a spoon (trust me, the whisk doesn’t work as well), stir in the flour, then date puree.
You can see how different the two batches of batter were…the first lighter, the second much darker and date-y. Both delicious.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it may have some stray crumbs).
Let it cool in the pan (and we just serve it from the pan as well).
If possible, make the sauce right before you’re ready to serve it. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, sugar and vanilla over medium heat and bring to a simmer (but not boil). Whisk for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
To serve, cut the cake into squares (still warm is just fine). Liberally drizzle each slice with toffee sauce, a pinch of sea salt, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. A mint leaf or two is lovely but not compulsory.
I mean…THERE ARE NO WORDS.
Like I said at the outset, this sticky date cake with toffee sauce is basically a simpler sticky toffee pudding, and perfect for a crowd!
Other comforting desserts you’ll love:
- Apricot Linzer Torte
- Traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding (Cake)
- Paul Hollywood’s Chelsea Buns
- Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding
Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen
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Smitten Kitchen's Awesome Sticky Date Cake with Toffee Sauce
This delicious and super easy date cake with toffee sauce is an alternative to the more traditional sticky toffee pudding. It easily feeds a crowd and can be made ahead of time. A perfect cozy dessert.
Ingredients
- Cake
- 12 ounces (340 grams, or about 2 1/4 cups) of dried dates, with pits removed
- 1/4 cups (530 ml) of boiling water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) of unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 2/3 cups (210 grams) of all-purpose flour
- Sauce (see notes)
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (235 ml) of heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (215 grams) of brown sugar (dark if you have it)
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- To serve
- Unsweetened whipped cream (optional, but I think it's critical)
- A few flakes of sea salt
- Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Pit and roughly chop the dates and place them in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and stir in the baking soda. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. To be extra safe you can line the bottom with a fitted rectangle of parchment paper.
- To make the cake batter, blend date-water mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and sugars. Whisk in the eggs, then salt.
- Using a spoon (trust me, the whisk doesn't work as well), stir in the flour, then date puree.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it may have some stray crumbs). Let it cool in the pan (and we just serve it from the pan as well).
- If possible, make the sauce right before you're ready to serve it. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, sugar and vanilla over medium heat and bring to a simmer (but not boil). Whisk for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- To serve, cut the cake into squares (still warm is just fine). Liberally drizzle each slice with toffee sauce, a pinch of sea salt, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. A mint leaf or two is lovely but not compulsory.
Notes
- This cake is a great make-ahead option, and you can just gently re-warm it
- This makes a LOT of sauce, I think you could almost halve this and it would be adequate.
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