AI-generated image
Sticky toffee pudding
Date sponge drenched in hot toffee sauce
Sticky toffee pudding was made famous by a country hotel and a village shop in the Lake District, and Cumbria still claims it, though it now ends Sunday lunch in pubs across Britain. A soft, dark sponge made with soaked dates is soaked in a buttery brown-sugar sauce and served with more sauce, plus cream, custard or vanilla ice cream. Chef's tip: poke holes in the hot sponge and pour on a third of the sauce, so it soaks right in.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the sponge
For the toffee sauce
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 20 × 25 cm baking dish. Pour the 1 cup boiling water over the 7 oz pitted dates and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and leave for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Beat the 2 ⅝ oz butter and 5 ½ oz light muscovado sugar until fluffy, then beat in the 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Fold in the 6 oz self-raising flour, then the dates and their liquid. The batter is very runny; that is right.
5 minStep 3: Pour into the dish and bake for 30–35 minutes until risen and springy and a skewer comes out clean.
35 minStep 4: Meanwhile melt the 3 ½ oz butter and 5 ½ oz dark muscovado sugar in a pan, add the 1 cup double cream and 1 pinch salt and bubble for 3 minutes until glossy and toffee-coloured.
5 minStep 5: Prick the hot sponge all over with a skewer and pour over a third of the sauce. A common mistake is serving it at once; leave 5 minutes so it soaks in.
5 minStep 6: Cut into squares and serve with the rest of the warm sauce.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sticky toffee pudding take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Orkney clapshot
Clapshot is the Orkney way with neeps and tatties: equal amounts of swede and potato mashed together with butter, chives and plenty of pepper, rather than served side by side. Islanders eat it with oatcakes and cheese, with mince, or alongside haggis on Burns Night. It is sweet, earthy and soft-orange. Chef's tip: dry the boiled vegetables in the hot pan before mashing, or the swede makes it watery.
Traditional macaroni cheese
The classic comfort dish: elbow macaroni in a smooth, rich cheddar sauce, topped with more cheese and grilled until golden and bubbling. Serve it with a green salad.




