Sticky Date Pudding

one slice of date pudding topped with white ice cream in a white plate.

Sticky Date Pudding—also known as Sticky Toffee Pudding—is one of my favorite date desserts. A simple caramel sauce is poured over the hot date cake, soaking into it to create a moist, caramel-rich, pudding-like texture. Outrageously delicious served warm with ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword date pudding, sticky date pudding

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Resting time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings Servings

Calories 369kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

200 grams pitted Medjool dates (7.1 ounces) (measure weight after removing the seeds)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup boiling water
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup dark brown sugar (not packed)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butterscotch Sauce

4 tablepsoons unsalted butter
½ cup dark brown sugar (not packed)
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
Mash Dates. Place dates in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Pour boiling water on top. Stand 10 minutes, then mash well with a potato masher (or fork) until it is broken down and you don't see any large pieces of dates.
👉 Soft Medjool dates work best for this recipe. If your dates aren’t very soft, chop them first—this makes them much easier to mash.
Whisk Dry Ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Make Batter. Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat until light (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla beat until incorporated.
👉 If your eggs are cold, the batter may look slightly curdled at this stage, but don’t worry—the cake will still turn out just fine.
Finish Batter. Add the dry ingredeints, give a quick mix until it is mostly combined. Add the mashed dates along with any remaining liquid and give a good stir, until well combined.
Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spread evenly, smooth top and bake for 24 to 28 minutes or a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean.
👉 Prepare the sauce while the cake is baking.
Make Sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, then remove from heat.
👉 The sauce quantity is enough to pour over the cake. If you’d like extra sauce for serving, double the recipe and use half on the cake. Keep in mind that additional sauce makes the cake very sweet—if you don’t have a strong sweet tooth, stick to the given amount.
Pour Sauce On Cake. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the surface with a skewer, making sure it reaches the bottom of the pan. Gently pour the sauce over the cake and let it soak for 10–15 minutes before serving. Since the cake rises as it bakes, the sauce may pool around the edges—use a spoon to redistribute it evenly so the entire cake is well soaked.
👉 The more holes, the better—it helps the sauce soak thoroughly into the cake.
Serve. The cake is outstanding served warm with vanilla icecream!

Notes

Use soft Medjool dates—avoid Noor dates, as they’re too hard and won’t mash well.

Number of dates - 200 grams (7.1 ounces) of dates is 13 to 15 large Medjool dates, depending on the size.

Chop firmer dates before mashing to make the process easier.

Choose dark brown sugar for a deep, rich caramel flavor that complements the dates, though light brown sugar can be used.

Poke plenty of holes in the cake—the more holes, the better the sauce will soak in.

Don’t overcook the sauce; simmering for just one minute is enough. If it thickens too much, it won’t soak the cake and make it super moist.

Nutrition