Classic Sticky Toffee Pudding
Dark, sticky, comforting — the British pudding that earns its name from a glossy toffee sauce poured over the warm sponge until it soaks all the way through. Worth every minute.
Plus 5 min cooling / chilling time
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4). Grease a 23cm (9-inch) square baking tin and line with baking parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting out.
- 2
Place the chopped dates in a bowl. Pour over the just-boiled water and stir in the bicarbonate of soda — the mixture will foam up slightly. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to soften and break the dates down.
Soak dates10:00 - 3
While the dates soak, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- 4
Beat the butter and dark brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each — the mixture may look slightly curdled, which is fine. Beat in the treacle and vanilla.
- 5
Mash the soaked dates with a fork until they form a rough paste — some texture is good. Add the dates and their soaking liquid to the butter mixture and beat briefly to combine. Add the flour mixture and fold gently with a spatula until the batter is smooth — do not overwork it.
- 6
Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top springs back to a gentle press and a skewer in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Bake32:00 - 7
Make the toffee sauce while the pudding bakes: place the dark brown sugar, butter, and 60ml of the double cream in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce darkens slightly and looks glossy. Off the heat, stir in the remaining cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Make sauce05:00 - 8
As soon as the pudding is out of the oven, leave it in the tin and prick the surface all over with a skewer. Pour about a third of the warm toffee sauce evenly over the top and let it soak in for 5 minutes. Reheat the rest of the sauce gently if it has cooled too much.
Soak05:00 - 9
Slice the warm pudding into squares, pour over more sauce, and serve with cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream. Pass the rest of the sauce around in a jug.
Baker's Notes
- •Medjool dates are worth the extra cost. They are soft, large, and intensely sweet — they break down into the batter and disappear into a creamy date paste. Deglet Noor will work but you may need to soak them for an extra 10 minutes.
- •Why bicarbonate in the dates? The bicarb softens the date skins and breaks them down faster. It also reacts gently with the dates' acidity and helps the sponge rise — there is no acid in the rest of the batter to activate it.
- •Muscovado vs light brown sugar: muscovado has more molasses, giving the deeper, almost treacly flavour that defines a proper sticky toffee pudding. If you can only get light soft brown, add an extra tablespoon of black treacle to compensate.
- •Sauce consistency: if the sauce splits or looks oily, give it 30 seconds of vigorous whisking off the heat — it will come back together. If it is too thick after standing, stir in a splash of warm cream.
- •Make ahead: bake the pudding fully and prepare the sauce. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat the pudding (covered with foil) at 160°C for 15 minutes, warm the sauce on the hob, then pour as in the final step. Tastes even better the day after.
- •Freezing: the cooled, undrenched pudding freezes well for 3 months. Wrap in foil, then a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat as above, and make a fresh batch of sauce.
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