Description
A rich, moist, and easy-to-make sticky toffee pudding cake baked in a standard 9×13 pan, featuring a tender date-infused crumb and a warm, buttery caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted (about 250g)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for sauce)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (for sauce)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for sauce)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for sauce)
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Chop dates roughly and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and let soak for 10 minutes to soften.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the wet mixture and soaked dates (with soaking liquid) to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
- While the cake bakes, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and carefully stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. The sauce will bubble up; stir until smooth.
- Pour the warm caramel sauce over the cooled cake and serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Medjool dates are preferred for their softness and sweetness. If using regular dates, soak them longer in hot water. The cake may sink slightly in the middle, which is normal and helps hold the sauce. For a smoother texture, blend the soaked dates into a paste before adding to the batter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 45
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: sticky toffee pudding, date cake, caramel sauce, easy dessert, British dessert, one-bowl cake, comfort food