This Sticky Toffee Pudding is light, meldingly soft and just delicious. The caramel toffee sauce is pretty amazing too. An exceptional Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe if I do say so myself. What's more it is super easy and a huge crowd pleaser. My son grins from ear to ear when he knows it's on the menu. It's his absolute favourite.
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a traditional pudding and is not only crazily delicious but crazily easy to bake.
I make it in the food processor or free standing mixer for full on and unashamed one bowl baking. It's practically a date smoothie. (You can use a hand held mixer too but will need a food processor to puree the dates.)
Always light but still full of bounce it satisfies somewhere deep down inside with every bite. I am always surprised at how damn delicious it is.
It's such a crowd pleaser too. I don't know anyone that doesn't love it. Do you?
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
This is a traditional British pudding recipe to cheer even the downest of days. It is always a universal winner and with serious good reason.
Alongside Treacle Sponge and Jam Sponge it is one of my favourite Sunday Lunch puddings in the whole wide world. I even make a slow cooker version here with my Steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding
Soft delicious sponge smothered in a toffee sauce that is to die for. Can be eaten straight out of the oven or made ahead and warmed through in the microwave to suit you sir.
I always get the ingredients ready into bowls when I make this as there are a few of them and it takes too long to measure as you put them into the mixing or food processor bowl.
Ingredients
Dates - I use the soft pitted dates. I have bought chopped dates by mistake and they were absolutely fine too but still needed blitzing in the food processor.
Butter - unsalted. Baking spread is fine too.
Sugar - light brown but white caster and granulated works too.
Flour - plain but use self raising if that is what you have and just use 1 tsp of baking powder instead of 2 tsp.
Golden Syrup
Eggs - Large
Vanilla Extract
Sticky Toffee Pudding Sauce
Butter - unsalted and not baking spread
Sugar- light brown but I have made it with white caster and granulated because that is what I had.
Black Treacle - cheats ingredient for toffee sauce.
Double Cream - not single as it can split when heated to high temperatures
How Do I Make Sticky Toffee Pudding?
- I start by preparing the dates. I put 300 mls of water into a saucepan and add the dates. I bring them to a gentle boil and leave for 20 seconds or so before removing from the heat and setting aside.
- I put all the other ingredients apart from the bicarb in my food processor or food mixer. You can also use a large mixing bowl and hand held electric whisk.
- Blitz or whisk the ingredients until smooth. This will take about 30 seconds in the food processor and about 1 minute with a food mixer or electric whisk.
- If you are using the food processor then tip in the dates and water with the bicarbonate of soda and blitz again for another 20 seconds.
- If using a free standing mixer or electric whisk then puree the date mixture in a food processor before adding to the batter mixture and mixing it through well. The date mixture will probably fizz up.
- Batter
- I empty into my baking dish which is a large one. It is 30 cm by 20 cm. I bake it at 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4 for about 30 minutes.
- It can take longer depending on your baking dish. A metal one will conduct heat better and the consistency of your oven is another factor.
- What is important here is to keep a close eye on it for the last ¼ of baking time. The top can very easily burn.
- My oven always starts to go above the programmed temperature after 20 minutes. So I have to turn my oven down at this point. This is why I have my little independent thermometer hanging on the bars just inside the oven glass door so I can see what's happening without opening the oven door.
How Do I Make Toffee Sauce?
This is an easy toffee sauce and I use black treacle to give a really special depth to the sauce without having to make caramel. Making caramel can be a little tricky. This way you get the flavour without the hassle. I is on fire.......
- I simply place the sugar, butter and black treacle in a saucepan and melt it all together over a medium heat. I use a whisk to carefully mix the butter into the sugar. It can take a minute or two to fully mix in.
- Once it is smooth and mixed together then remove from the heat and add the cream. Whisk it all together with the whisk and you have your seriously good toffee sauce. Kiss it.
Smother that sponge in the stuff.
What do I serve with Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Serve it with custard, cream or vanilla ice-cream. I try to offer all three. I feel people should not be denied their preference where sticky toffee is concerned.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Tips
- Use an independent oven thermometer as ovens vary greatly and they can begin to rise halfway through cooking leaving you unaware.
- The top can burn easily so keep a close eye on the oven thermometer or sponge itself. Turn the oven down a little or quickly and carefully put a silver foil hat on the sponge.
- Store leftovers in the fridge covered.
- Reheat any leftovers in the microwave in 20 second blasts depending on your portion sizes.
- Use black treacle to give your sauce a toffee flavour.
- Reheat the toffee sauce in a saucepan
- Freeze the whole sponge for up to 3 months double wrapped in its dish and defrost at room temperature before reheating in the oven at 170 C for 20/25 minutes
- Freeze the toffee sauce in a separate container and defrost at room temp before reheating in a saucepan
What Equipment Do I Need?
- Food Processor/Free Standing Mixer/Large Mixing Bowl and Electric Whisk
- Baking Dish 30 cm x 20 cm or similar
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Digital Scales
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE YOU MAY LIKE THESE
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
Sponge
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 75 grams butter soft unsalted
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 grams pitted dates
- 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200 grams plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 300 mls water
Toffee sauce
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 200 grams butter
- 2 tbsps black treacle
- 200 mls double cream
Instructions
Sponge
- Although the recipe is a simple and straight forward one there are a lot of diff ingredients so I find I prefer to get them all ready in order to avoid dashing about like a t.at. You do require a food processor to puree the dates and a large baking tin or dish. Mine is 20 cm x 30 cm.
- Grease the dish/tin and dust the inside with flour. Pre heat the oven to 180° C/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
- Cream/Beat 75 grams of butter and 200 grams light brown sugar together in a food mixer or with an electric whisk.
- Add the 2 eggs, 2 tbsp golden syrup, 2 tbsp black treacle and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Turn the mixer on to a slow speed and then add 200 grams plain flour and 2 tsp of baking powder.
- In a saucepan bring 200 grams of dates to a boil with the 300 mls of water. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor.
- Add 1 tbsp bicarb to the date mixture and whizz once more.
- Whilst hot quickly add to the sponge mix and mix again.
- Tip the batter out into the tin or dish. Bake for about 35-45 mins. A skewer inserted should come out clean. The top can easily burn so watch it carefully for the last 15 minutes or so. I just turn the temp down. Don't open the oven until at least 35 minutes in as it can drop in the middle if you do.
Toffee Sauce
- Melt 200 grams unsalted butter and 200 grams light brown sugar together and bubble quite hard for a few mins until it starts to colour.
- Take off the heat and add 200 mls double cream. It will splutter, be brave. Add 2 tbsps treacle and mix well. Put it back on a gentle heat for it to bubble again for a couple of mins.Taste the sauce and add more treacle to taste. Pour some over the sponge before serving and decant the rest into a jug for people to add more themselves.
- Apply to swooning and swollen face and gums.
Notes
- Use an independent oven thermometer as ovens vary greatly and they can begin to rise halfway through cooking leaving you unaware.
- The top can burn easily so keep a close eye on the oven thermometer or sponge itself. Turn the oven down a little or quickly and carefully put a silver foil hat on the sponge.
- Store leftovers in the fridge covered.
- Reheat any leftovers in the microwave in 20 second blasts depending on your portion sizes.
- Reheat the toffee sauce in a saucepan
- Freeze the whole sponge for up to 3 months double wrapped in its dish and defrost at room temperature before reheating in the oven at 170 C for 20/25 minutes
- Freeze the toffee sauce in a separate container and defrost at room temp before reheating in a saucepan
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Check out some other incredible Baked Sponge Puddings in an article I wrote for BritMums.
Do let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love a good old hairy chinwag.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
Mmm yum! That looks so deliciously good Jenny 🙂 How I wish I had a portion (or two) of that when I had to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth out at the hospital - all i got was my Dad chuckling at me cos I couldn't talk properly with a swollen face!
Angela x
joskitchenlarder
One of my favourite puds and I always make double or even triple quantity of the sauce only to flood my portion in it, yum! I hope you're recovering well Jen! Big hugs! xxx
Monika
I hope you are recovering well from your somewhat traumatic yet not altogether unpleasant, by the sound of it, hospital experience:) This recipe sounds so very appealing, rich and moreish, thank you for bringing it to #CookBlogShare:)
Glutarama
Corrrrr! bit lost for words here, this is food for the eyes! love the richness of the ingredients here, can't wait to make this for our family
Kate - gluten free alchemist
Not sure what is more distracting.... the gorgeous surgeon, the loose breasts or the sticky toffee pudding?! I'll go for the pudding..... safest choice and definitely the most satisfying! It sounds and looks divine and I LOVE that you have made it in a bundt xx
applytofaceblog
Thankyou!Its never good to find oneself loosebreasted in public unless you're twenty something and definitely not with jam on your dressing gown....Thank God for the cake!??
Louise Fairweather
Oh my that looks good. Hope the op went well. Thanks for linking up to #cookblogshare
Rosemary
I love Sticky Toffee Pudding but I've never made it. I feel inspired and will definitely be giving it a go this autumn!
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It's super easy. You won't regret it x
Jacqui Bellefontaine
I love a good sticky toffee pudding, then again who doesn't!
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A classic crowd pleaser. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and tea x
Jo Allison
One of my very favourite puds for sure! Could do with a portion right now! Thanks for linking up with my very last #BakingCrumbs 🙂
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
I do love a sticky toffee pudding, and you've made it so easy using only one bowl!
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It's such a crowd pleaser isn't it. I don't know anyone that doesn't like it x
Corina Blum
This looks gorgeous! My family all love sticky toffee pudding too but I have to make it without dates just to keep everyone else happy!
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Oh wow! I can't imagine it without the dates!
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist
OMG!!!! Sticky Toffee Pudding.... Total heaven in a bowl.
Not sure it's great for teeth, but hey... I've lost so many too that it somehow seems irrelevant! Thank god for implants and grit teeth over dental bills!!
May just need to make me a GF version of this... Bookmarked x
applytofaceblog
Damn well HATE the dentist and HATE getting old! Thank you it really is very good xx