The BEST Sticky Toffee Pudding

My sticky toffee pudding recipe is light in texture, but it certainly does not lack anything else! Packed with all the cosy vibes you could want, this irresistible dessert is packed with dates and topped with a rich sticky toffee pudding sauce. Serve topped with a generous scoop of ice cream or lashings of custard for the ultimate comfort food dessert ever!

Sticky date pudding: a childhood favourite

For anyone growing up in Britain in the 1970s onwards, sticky toffee pudding was always a firm favourite! Whether you enjoy it with custard, ice cream or on its own, this classic British pudding is always well received.

What is sticky toffee pudding? What does it taste like?

Sticky toffee pudding, or sticky date pudding if you are in Australia or New Zealand, is simply one of the best British desserts I have come across to date! It is basically a sponge cake with added chopped dates. Topped with a rich toffee sauce, and normally served warm with cream ice cream or custard. For me, it is one of the best comfort foods going, especially during colder darker months. If you have never tried this amazing dessert, I am so glad you are here to try it!

Honestly, I think this makes for an absolutely amazingly decadent and cosy dessert, the best sort of comfort food going! Despite it being a sponge cake in making, the dates give a sticky and slightly chewy texture. This makes it denser and more pudding like than a normal cake.

So what exactly is a pudding?

Puddings are a type of food that can be either sweet or savoury. Here in the UK, the word is often used in conversation to mean dessert. Puddings are normally boiled or steamed and have a heavier, denser texture (some might even say “stodgy”!). They are often served with custard, ice cream or double cream. Some examples of puddings include Christmas pudding, treacle sponge and spotted dick.

Wait, it’s not actually a pudding!

Absolutely, sticky toffee date pudding is not steamed or boiled as a traditional British pudding would be. However as I said above, in the UK a dessert is often referred to as a pudding, regardless of whether it is steamed or not.

For me personally, calling something a pudding gives more an idea of the homely nature of the dish. In this case, my simple sticky toffee pudding recipe makes for the ultimate home-from-home dessert to indulge in at home!

What ingredients do I need to make this easy sticky toffee pudding?

• Dates: one of the key ingredients in making this easy sticky toffee pudding recipe, makes for a moist, chewy and absolutely delicious bake!
• Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): helps soften the dates before they are mixed into the cake batter, plus aids the rising of the bake.
• Boiling water: mixed with the bicarb and dates, used to help prepare the dates ahead of making this sticky toffee pudding easy.
• Vanilla: brings out the sweet toffee notes of this bake beautifully.
• Eggs: gives structure and stability to this sticky toffee pudding tray bake.
• Flour: I use plain (all purpose) flour to make this sticky date pudding.
• Baking powder: for rise and lightness in the sticky toffee cakes.
• Salt: just a little added, to round off the flavours. You will not be able to taste this tiny amount, but it really enhances the flavours!
• Butter: I use unsalted butter, allowing me to control the amount of salt in the cake and the sauce for sticky toffee pudding.
• Dark brown sugar: using brown sugar here makes for a more caramel flavoured cake. This suits the flavour profile of this sticky toffee cake perfectly.
• Treacle: adds darkness and depth to the flavour profile, along with a little bitterness to balance the sweetness. Used in the cake and the toffee sauce.
• Double cream: to make the toffee sauce, gives a rich, decadent texture to complement the sticky toffee tray bake.
• Dark muscovado sugar: the darker flavour profile of this makes a really wonderful, rich toffee sauce.
• Vanilla ice cream: a totally optional accompaniment to this dessert, for me it makes this easy sticky toffee pudding extra special!

What equipment do I need to make this easy sticky toffee pudding recipe?

• Digital kitchen scales*: I always recommend using digital kitchen scales to weigh ingredients out over using a volume based measuring system, as cups. Weighing out the ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume, and will ensure better results in the cookies, so I would definitely take the plunge if you have not already. 
• Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), a set of dedicated measuring spoons is a must! These are far more accurate than everyday eating spoons, and are really easy to get hold of too.
• Small bowl*: to soak the chopped dates, allowing them to soften before baking in the best recipe sticky toffee pudding.
• Mixing bowl*: used to mix the cake ingredients together before baking
• Handheld electric mixer*: makes life a lot easier in the kitchen when mixing ingredients! This easy sticky toffee pudding can be made entirely by hand too of course.
• Sieve*: to sift the dry ingredients before mixing in for the tray bake sticky toffee pudding.
• Spatula*: to scrape down the bowl with as ingredients are added, ensuring everything mixes together thoroughly. Also useful to fold through the dates into this easy sticky toffee pudding recipes.
• Tray bake tin*: you can use a roasting tin too, but I like the sharper corners in this tray bake tin.
• Small saucepan*: used to make the toffee sauce to top the easy sticky toffee pudding tray bake once baked.
• Ice cream scoop*: to scoop the ice cream for serving the sticky toffee pudding recipes.

How to make sticky toffee pudding

There are just two parts to the best sticky toffee pudding recipe ever! First, make the sticky date puddings, and whilst they bake, make the toffee sauce. Once baked, drizzle with a little of the toffee sauce before cutting into individual servings. Place a piece of cake on a plate, drizzle generously with toffee sauce and a scoop of ice cream, and that is all there is to it! Enjoy!

For the date cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 8″ x 12″ tin with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the chopped dates, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and boiling water. Stir (the mixture will foam up slightly), then cover and leave the mixture to sit whilst making the cake batter.

Step 3: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir it together, then set aside.

Step 4: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until completely combined and pale. Add in the treacle, vanilla and egg and beat together until smooth. No need to fret if the mixture looks a little curdled at this stage, it will all come together in the end.

Step 5: Add half the flour mixture to the butter bowl, folding to combine. Pour in all the date mixture, including the liquid, and fold together until combined. Finally, add in the remaining dry ingredients and fold it all together until no more streaks of flour remain.

Step 6: Tip the cake mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing into the corners and levelling the mixture out. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until baked through and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin.

How to make toffee sauce

Step 1: While the cake is baking, make the toffee sauce. Place the butter, sugar, treacle and salt together in a small saucepan and heat gently whilst stirring to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar.

Step 2: After everything is melted together and smooth, stir in the cream. Heat the mixture to a gently simmer, and cook whilst stirring for a few minutes until the sauce is starting to thicken. Take off the heat and keep warm.

Step 3: Once the cake has come out of the oven, pour over about a quarter of the sauce whilst it is still in the tin, spreading it out into an even layer. Cut the cake into pieces whilst still in the tin.

Step 4: When you are ready to serve, simply plate up a slice of cake, top with extra toffee sauce and your choice of ice cream (my favourite!), custard (still yum!) or double cream. Enjoy!

How can I tell when my sticky toffee pudding is baked?

You will know when the pudding is done as it will be firm to touch and will have shrunk away from the sides of the pan slightly. Additionally, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean or with one or two crumbs only.

Can sticky toffee pudding be made in advance?

Yes, you can make this pudding up to two days ahead of serving. Bake and cool the cake and sauce, storing them separately in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Reheat the cake slices individually in the microwave and the sauce in a pan until piping hot before serving.

Whilst the above method does work, I would always suggest a hot dessert such as this one is best served fresh as it is made. So the ideal would be making and serving on the same day.

What do you eat sticky toffee pudding with?

You can indulge in this classic dessert in a few different ways! It is absolutely gorgeous just on its own, of course, but can also be enjoyed with some ice cream, some additional double (heavy) cream or a generous pour of custard.

Does sticky toffee pudding need to be refrigerated?

Always store the cake and sauce separately until ready to serve. Once the cake has been cooled, store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, if it lasts that long!

To serve from chilled, reheat individual pieces in the microwave for 30-45 seconds per slice until hot. Reheat the sauce in a pan until piping hot and pour over the cake before serving.

Can sticky toffee pudding be frozen?

Yes, this pudding can be frozen. Once baked and cooled, wrap in individual portions and freeze in a suitable container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as instructed above. The sauce can be frozen too and defrosted in a similar way. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heated in a pan until piping hot before serving.

Tips for making the best sticky toffee pudding recipe

• Chop the dates as finely as you can. This will help them break down well during soaking and disperse evenly throughout the cake batter.
• Beat the butter and sugar well until light and soft, smooth and well combined. This will help the cake be light and fluffy.
• When adding the treacle, vanilla and eggs to the butter, it will look a little curdled. No need to fret, once the dry ingredients are added in, it will all come together beautifully!
• My recipe for this classic sticky toffee pudding recipes makes a really light cake. To achieve this, make sure you fold the final ingredient additions in rather than beating, to keep the air from the start of the method in the mixture.
• As you make the toffee sauce, be careful not to boil it when adding the cream. Instead let it simmer gently for a few minutes to help keep the sauce really silky smooth as it thickens during cooking.
• Make sure to stir the sauce continuously whilst cooking, especially once the cream has been added, so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan and burn!
• If you do not have dark brown and/or muscovado sugars for this bake, substitute for light brown sugar. Darker sugars give an extra rich molasses flavour to the cake and the sauce, so it is definitely my preference here!
• In the US, molasses can be substituted for treacle, as it is a much more common British ingredient. If you cannot find either, you could also try using golden syrup in this easy sticky toffee pudding recipe.

Troubleshooting

If you have any other questions about this easy recipe for sticky toffee pudding, please use the comments below to ask away and I will do my best to help. And if you do make this recipe for sticky toffee pudding, please take a moment to leave a rating and review below. I would love to know how you enjoy making it and following along, plus it really helps others looking for a similar recipe too. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world, you know I love seeing all your bakes!

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Recommended equipment I used *

Digital kitchen scales	Measuring spoons
Small bowl	Mixing bowl
Handheld electric mixer	Sieve
Spatula	Tray bake tin
Small saucepan	Ice cream scoop