How to Make Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding is a beloved British dessert made with moist date sponge cake drenched in rich homemade toffee sauce. It’s best served warm, topped off with some whipped cream or vanilla custard and some vanilla ice cream! In Australia and New Zealand it’s also known as sticky date pudding.

This recipe can be baked in individual serving ramekins or muffin tins and then cut into portions for guests. Alternatively, you could bake this in a larger baking dish and serve it as one larger dessert, or cut it into squares to share with guests.

Prepare a large shallow 1.7-litre/3 pint ovenproof dish by buttering it thoroughly. Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Finally, add eggs, zest and date puree; beat until combined. Lastly, stir in flour, baking powder and salt before dividing between each ramekin; bake for 20 minutes or until slightly risen before cooling on wire racks.

Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: add butter, golden syrup, brown sugar and cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes while whisking constantly; when thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and set aside.

For an extra special touch, sprinkle flaky sea salt over top. This will give your guests a pleasant balance of salty and sweet.

You could also substitute the dates with dried apricots if desired. Dark cocoa powder is another great choice for adding an earthy bitter note.

This pudding can be stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and reheating. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and bake at 325degF for about 10 minutes or microwave on medium for one minute.

This recipe yields approximately 9-10 servings in ramekins or 8-9 in muffin tins. If you’d like more, feel free to double it!

Microwave: For a speedy and effortless version, you can prepare this in a microwaveable pudding basin. Just butter the inside and pour in your batter; then microwave for 30 seconds. Alternatively, mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl before beating in bicarbonate of soda.

Freeze: This cake and toffee sauce freezes well, making it a great recipe to have on hand for parties or when guests come over! Best served within one or two days after baking.

Cake and toffee sauce can be stored separately in the fridge for up to three days or even weeks. However, if you need to keep them longer than this, make sure they remain airtight containers.

This pudding is perfect for serving during holiday meals or when celebrating Victorian-style. It’s especially delicious when topped off with a dollop of creme fraiche or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream!