Sticky Toffee Pudding
What is your favourite pudding of all time? For me, it is this.
The very word pudding, in my mind’s eye, conjures up a slab of dark sticky toffee, bathed in an oozing, rich golden sauce. It’s devilishly sweet and indulgent and even with the incredible and ridiculously easy sauce, I still love to enjoy my STP with a scoop of clotted cream ice cream on top.
The star of this pudding is the date mixture – it makes the pudding extremely moist – even days after baking – and is a winning combination with the muscovado sugar for that dark, molasses flavour. You’ll be delighted to know that around 80g of dates count as your one a day so therefore this pudding counts as at least three of your five a day*. You’re so very welcome.
I’ve made this version of sticky toffee countless times over the years and in various forms. From loaf tins to tray bakes, cupcakes and large oven dishes (for those times you just want to scoop pudding straight out). And don’t pay heed to those who tell you this is just a ‘winter warmer’ dessert, it is not. You just simply take it outside and enjoy alfresco in the summer and cosy up inside with some blankets in the winter. There’s no need to deprive yourself through the seasons on this one!
Happy STP,
Nadia x
*Dates are deliciously healthy but I’m pretty sure their nutritional value is out of the window when used in this recipe. It is a pudding, after all.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
Cake
- 75 g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100 g dark muscovado sugar
- 50 g light soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 250 g pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 350 ml boiling water
- 30-50 g walnuts, slightly crushed
Sticky Toffee Sauce
- 125 g dark muscovado sugar
- 125 g butter
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line your tin – either use a large shallow baking tin or a loaf tin.
- Add your bicarbonate of soda to your dates and fill the bowl with your boiling water. Cover and leave to one side for about ten minutes.
- Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add in your eggs and the flour and combine well.
- Add in your dates, including the water, as well as your crushed walnuts. Ensure your batter is mixed well.
- Pour into your greased tin. You could sprinkle some more crushed walnuts on top and follow with a little dark muscovado sugar too.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake should be springy to touch. Be careful not to overbake.
- Whilst the cake is in the oven, make the sticky toffee sauce.
Sticky Toffee Sauce
- Add the butter and sugar to a pan and heat. Stir until both have melted. Then add the double cream.
- Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Add the salt and stir.
To Finish
- Whilst the cake is still hot, poke holes all over with a thin skewer. Pour the sauce over the top – don’t be afraid to be generous! Leave some sauce aside for serving.
Notes
- Serving suggestion: cut in thick wedges/slabs and drizzle more sauce over it, then top with a scoop of clotted cream ice cream.
- The pudding can be kept for around 3-5 days, simply heat up both the pudding and leftover sauce before serving.