Sticky Toffee Pudding
Classic Sticky Toffee Pudding: soft date sponge and glossy toffee sauce. Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. Serve it warm with lashings of custard, cream, or a scoop of ice cream.
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Servings: 9
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g Dried Pitted Dates (chopped)
- 300 ml Water
- 60 g Block Margarine or Butter (softened)
- 150 g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Free-range Eggs (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 2 tbsp Golden Syrup (see Golden Syrup note below)
- 2 tbsp Treacle
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 200 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
- 1 tbsp Bicarbonate of Soda
For the Toffee Sauce
- 100 g Block Margarine or Butter
- 100 g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
- 150 ml Double Cream
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Grease a square 20x20cm (8-inch) baking tin with butter/margarine and dust it with a little flour. Set aside.
- Place the dates and water into a small pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer for a minute before removing from the heat and setting aside to steep.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter/margarine and sugar until it is well mixed. Add the syrup, treacle, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gently sift in the flour and fold together to create a batter. Set aside.
- With a hand blender, mix the date and water mixture (alternatively, mash with a potato masher), then add the bicarbonate of soda and mix. The mixture will have a frothy consistency - this is normal.
- Whilst the date mixture is still warm, add it to the batter and mix to combine before pouring the completed batter mixture to your pre-greased baking tin.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pudding is firm. Once cool enough to touch, turn the pudding out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Toffee Sauce
- Place the butter/margarine, brown sugar and cream into a small pan and gently bring to a boil before reducing the heat to simmer for a few minutes, continuously stirring.
- Pour over your pudding portions before serving.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES
Egg Size:
When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally speaking, egg size doesn’t make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.Golden Syrup:
Golden syrup is a classic British baking ingredient. If you don’t have any, light corn syrup is the closest substitute. For more information, including all possible substitutions, where to buy it and how to make your own, see my Golden Syrup Ingredient Guide.Self-Raising Flour:
Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 200g (1⅔ cups) plain flour and 2¾ teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.Substitutions:
- Margarine or Butter: Either will work for both the sponge and the sauce.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Can be swapped for light brown sugar, although the flavour will be slightly less rich.
- Treacle: Treacle can be swapped like-for-like with molasses, as they are much the same in flavour and texture.
Storage:
Once completely cooled, Sticky Toffee Pudding can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Always store the sauce separately in the fridge.Freezing:
Both the sponge and the sauce freeze really well. Cut the pudding into portions, wrap each piece tightly in cling film, and place in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce in a separate tub. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.Reheating:
Warm individual portions of pudding in the microwave, or cover with foil and reheat in the oven until hot through. Gently reheat the sauce in a pan or the microwave, stirring well before serving.Tried this recipe?
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