Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel and Cream
Sticky Toffee
Classic British sticky toffee pudding with a buttery salted caramel sauce.
Nutrition (per serving)
This sticky toffee pudding is one of those recipes that feels like a warm hug—rich date cake soaked in a buttery, salted caramel sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of double cream. It's deeply caramelized, comforting, and surprisingly straightforward to make at home.
I love serving it for a cozy dinner or holiday dessert because you can make the cake in advance and warm it through before finishing with the sauce. The contrast between the moist sponge, sticky sauce, and cold cream is simply irresistible.
Ingredients
- Pitted Medjool dates, chopped:10 oz
- Boiling water:1 cup
- Baking soda:1 tsp
- Unsalted butter, softened:6 tbsp
- Brown sugar (packed):3/4 cup
- Large eggs:2 pieces
- Vanilla extract:1 tsp
- All-purpose flour:1 1/2 cup
- Baking powder:1 tsp
- Salt:1/2 tsp
- For the caramel sauce - unsalted butter:6 tbsp
- Dark brown sugar (packed):3/4 cup
- Heavy cream:3/4 cup
- Vanilla extract (for sauce):1 tsp
- Sea salt (to finish):1 pinch
- To serve: vanilla ice cream or double cream:6 servings
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish (or six individual ramekins) and set aside.
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Place the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, then stir in the baking soda. Let sit for 10 minutes until very soft.
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In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
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Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
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Fold the soaked dates and any remaining soaking liquid into the batter. The batter will be quite moist—this is correct.
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Spread the batter into the prepared dish or divide among the ramekins. Bake for 30–35 minutes (20–25 minutes for ramekins) until a skewer comes out clean and the tops are springy.
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While the cake bakes, make the caramel sauce: melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Carefully stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 3–5 minutes until slightly thickened.
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Remove the sauce from heat, stir in the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. If the sauce separates, whisk briskly to combine.
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To serve, spoon warm caramel sauce generously over the pudding and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of double cream. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top if you like a salted contrast.
Tips & Notes
- Make the date soak ahead of time—the flavor deepens if the dates sit for 30 minutes.
- Use a mix of cake and individual ramekins for a charming presentation at dinner parties.
- If the caramel gets too thick, thin it with a tablespoon or two of warm cream or milk.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated; rewarm gently in a 325°F oven or microwave before serving.
