Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of Britain’s most beloved desserts: a warm, ultra-moist date cake soaked in a rich, buttery toffee sauce and served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
If you love decadent, old-fashioned puddings, this moist cake will quickly become a go-to for Christmas dinners, Sunday suppers, and cozy winter nights.
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What Is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a traditional British dessert originating in the mid-20th century, which today can be found on pub pudding menus from England to Scotland.
It features a soft cake made with pitted dates, which help keep it moist, then drenched in a warm toffee sauce made of butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and cream. The result is sticky, sweet, and utterly comforting.
Most food historians trace sticky toffee pudding to England in the 1940s–1950s, not medieval Britain as is sometimes claimed. The key ingredient, dates, points to a post-war origin, when imported dried fruits became more widely available in the UK.
The most widely accepted origin story places sticky toffee pudding at the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District. In the 1960s, hotel owners Brian Sack and chef Francis Coulson popularized the dessert. The pudding became a signature dish and helped spread its popularity through British fine dining.
Why You’ll Love Toffee Pudding
- Warm, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Rich caramel-toffee flavour from both the cake and sauce
- Simple pantry ingredients
- Perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cold-weather gathering
How To Make Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Prepare the Date Base: Soak the pitted dates in boiling water until softened. This step is what gives the pudding its trademark moisture and depth of flavour.
- Make the Cake Batter: Cream together butter and brown sugar, then mix in the vanilla, eggs, and molasses. Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend the softened dates into the batter. The mixture will be thick, rich, and beautifully aromatic.
- Bake Until Soft and Springy: Bake the cake until it’s set in the centre but still tender. Sticky toffee pudding is meant to be moist, not dry, so avoid overbaking.
- Prepare the Toffee Sauce: Simmer butter, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt until the sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour, Soak, and Serve: While the cake is warm, pierce it with a fork and pour over some of the hot toffee sauce to let it soak in. Serve the remaining sauce at the table with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, soft dates for the best texture
- Don’t skip the soaking step, this ensures a plush, sticky crumb
- Let the cake rest with some sauce poured over it to deepen the flavour
- Warm the sauce just before serving for the ideal consistency
Serving Suggestions
- Warm, with a generous drizzle of toffee sauce
- Topped with toasted walnuts or pecans for a crunchy contrast
- With a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- As a show-stopping finale to Christmas, New Year’s, or Sunday Roast
Storage
Sticky Toffee Pudding keeps beautifully and can be made in advance before hosting a large party:
- Refrigerate for 3–4 days. Simply microwave the cakes when ready to serve so they are warm.
- Freeze the cake (without sauce) for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature then microwave to warm when ready to serve.
- Warm the sauce in a small pot over low heat on the stove or in a microwave safe dish topped with plastic wrap to avoid splatter.
Sticky Toffee Pudding English Date Cake
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- muffin tin
- Food processor
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pitted Dates
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 tbsp Molasses
- 1 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
Toffee Sauce
- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Add dates to the bowl of a food processor and pour boiling water on top. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and then stir into the batter.
- Pulse the date mixture in a food processor, then stir in baking soda. Pour date mixture into batter and fold in gently to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with few crumbs.
Toffee Sauce
- Add cream, butter, brown sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, and slightly thickened about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Spoon toffee sauce over cake and garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
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