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Home / Recipes

Sticky Toffee Pudding

1 hour
4.69 from 38 votes
22 Comments
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by: Joanna Cismaru
05.01.19

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This Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe is super moist and delicious. Drenched in a dark, rich, sticky toffee sauce, it’s my take on a classic British dessert that’s the perfect finisher for any meal.

a piece of sticky toffee pudding in a white plate drenched with sticky toffee sauce and topped with whipped cream

What Is Sticky Toffee Pudding?

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British dessert that’s so comforting and satisfying.  It’s a very moist sponge cake made with sweet, soft dates and covered in a sticky toffee sauce. I’ve been noticing it popping up on the dessert lists of many restaurants, so why not share a recipe with you guys to enjoy from the comfort of your own homes? At least that way you can lick the plate clean, I promise not to judge, seeing as I’ll probably be doing the same thing.

This sticky toffee pudding really is pure comfort in a bowl. You want to eat this warm and you want to make sure you let that sauce slowly drip and soak into the cake for a bit. To speed it up you could even poke some holes into the cake.

two pieces of sticky toffee pudding cake stacked on top of each other

Ingredients In Sticky Toffee Pudding

Here’s what you’ll need to make this cake. Keep scrolling down for the complete printable recipe.

Cake
  • Dates – The base of this recipe is a date cake. Dates add sweetness and a soft, chewy texture to this dish and must be pitted before incorporated.
  • Water – Water will be used to cook with the dates till they’re soft, dry dates fresh from the package won’t blend properly.
  • Butter – Be sure it’s unsalted as we want to control the amount of salt in this dessert.
  • Brown sugar – Brown sugar is best as it’ll give the pudding a depth of flavor with molasses and caramel notes. If white sugar is all you have on hand that will work just fine as we will be adding molasses later.
  • Eggs – The binding agent in this dessert.
  • Golden syrup – Also known as light treacle, golden syrup has a toasty note that lends itself well to rich cakes. It can be found in the baking aisle.
  • Molasses – If you have a carton of this hanging around in your cupboard after making my Gingerbread Loaf, this recipe is the perfect way to use the rest of it up. A cup of molasses converts to 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar, so that substitution is available if you don’t have molasses on hand.
  • Flour – I used all purpose for this dessert.
  • Baking soda – The leavening agent in this dessert that will give volume to your cake.
  • Baking powder – As this recipe is so rich we need some extra leavening.
  • Salt – Be sure to include the salt in this recipe to balance out all the sweet flavors being included.
Sauce
  • Butter – Unsalted again to control our sodium content.
  • Brown sugar – We will melt down the butter with brown sugar to give our syrupy sauce a base.
  • Golden syrup – Golden syrup will carry those toasty notes from our cake through to our sauce.
  • Molasses – Our last sweet addition, those molasses notes will help create a cohesive dish.
  • Whipping cream – We want a high fat content for the cream we use so that our toffee sauce is rich and buttery.

pouring sticky toffee sauce over a piece of date cake in a white plate

How To Make Sticky Toffee Pudding

It’s such a  simple cake to make right at home and out of all the sticky toffee puddings I’ve tried, and I’ve tried many, I must say my version is the best. For detailed directions and precise measurements scroll to my recipe card at the bottom.

  • Prepare your oven: Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and generously spray an 8 x 8 cake pan. A Bundt pan will work just fine if that’s all you have on hand.
  • Prepare the wet ingredients: First start by cooking the dates with water until they soften, you’ll do this by bringing the two to a boil in a saucepan. Allow this to cool somewhat before adding them to a food processor or blender and pulsing till it’s smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the melted butter until smooth, incorporate the eggs and whisk once more gently. Finally whisk in the date mixture, molasses, and golden syrup until smooth.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Prepare the cake: Whisk just half the flour mixture into your wet ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated, then add the rest and mix till smooth. This can also be done using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Ensure there are no lumps in your batter. Transfer your batter to the prepared cake pan and cook for 35 minutes or until done.
  • Make the sauce: While the cake is baking add brown sugar, butter, molasses, and golden syrup to a sauce pan. Stir constantly as the butter melts. Cook until everything is fully incorporated, then whisk in the whipping cream.
  • Finish the sticky toffee pudding: While the cake is still warm, remove from the cake pan and cut into 9 squares. Pour lots of sauce over top and serve.

a piece of sticky toffee pudding with a spoon drenched with sticky toffee sauce and topped with whipped cream

Tips For Making The Best Sticky Toffee Pudding

  • Have fun with garnishes, I love to dollop some whip cream on top myself but chopped pecans, whipped cream, walnuts, or ice cream will do just fine.
  • It is sometimes used by vegans as a substitute for honey so if you don’t have any syrup on hand, honey can easily be used in its place. Corn syrup is also a fine replacement.
  • Initially I didn’t make enough sauce and so I ended up doubling the sauce recipe for you guys, because we had to go back and make another batch of the sauce. It really is that good and you really want this cake to be drowning in sauce.
  • For a saucier bite, poke holes in your cake and pour some of the sauce over top, allow it to absorb and slice up to serve, with extra sauce on top of course.

Storing Your Cake

Be sure the cake is fully cooled before storing. Sealed in an airtight container this recipe will last 5 to 6 days. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, this cake recipe will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to defrost fully when ready to eat and warm in an oven turned on low for 15 minutes. The sauce can be made in advance in stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

a piece of sticky toffee pudding in a white plate drenched with sticky toffee sauce and topped with whipped cream

Looking For More Delicious Cake Recipes? Try These:

  • Tiramisu Tres Leches Cake
  • Carrot Cake
  • German Chocolate Cake
  • Banana Upside Down Cake
  • Easy Chocolate Fudge

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side view shot of a slice of sticky toffee pudding in a bowl topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint

Sticky Toffee Pudding

4.69 from 38 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 9
Print Pin Rate
This Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe is super moist and delicious. Drenched in a dark, rich, sticky toffee sauce, it's my take on a classic British dessert that's the perfect finisher for any meal.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup dates pitted
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tbsp butter unsalted, melted
  • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Sauce

  • 8 tbsp butter unsalted
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup golden syrup
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ¾ cup whipping cream

Optional Toppings

  • whipped cream
  • ice cream
  • chopped walnuts or pecans
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Generously spray a 8x8 inch cake pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  • Add the date and water to a medium saucepan then bring the mixture to a boil. You will notice the dates soften. Add the entire thing to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. 
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter with the brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and whisk until light. Whisk in the golden syrup, molasses and date mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
  • In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. 
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the date mixture and whisk it until fully incorporated then add the rest of the flour and mix it well. Alternatively, this could all be done with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer.
  • Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, it's done.
  • While the cake is baking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, add the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, molasses and stir well. Cook until the butter has melted and everything is fully incorporated. Whisk in the whipping cream.
  • While the cake is still warm remove it from the cake pan and cut into 9 squares. Serve the cake warm and pour the sticky toffee sauce over it. 
  • This can also be served with whipped cream, ice cream or chopped pecans or walnuts.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick, amber-color syrup produced by the sugar cane refining process. You can usually find it in the baking aisle in your local grocery store. If you cannot find it, a good substitute would be corn syrup.
  2. Storing: Be sure the cake is fully cooled before storing. Sealed in an airtight container this recipe will last 5 to 6 days. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, this sticky toffee pudding recipe will last up to 3 months. Be sure to defrost fully when ready to eat and warm in an oven turned on low for 15 minutes. The sauce can be made in advance in stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  3. Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 584kcal (29%)Carbohydrates: 91g (30%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Cholesterol: 104mg (35%)Sodium: 454mg (20%)Potassium: 693mg (20%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 72g (80%)Vitamin A: 820IU (16%)Vitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 151mg (15%)Iron: 2.9mg (16%)
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:British
Keyword:british cakes, cake recipes, sticky toffee pudding
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Jane says

    December 22, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    Could you please recommend a replacement to the corn syrup or golden syrup? Can I use maple syrup or brown sugar? Thank you

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      December 22, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      Yep! You can use either of the two.

      Reply
      • Jane says

        December 22, 2020 at 4:29 pm

        Thank you for your quick response! Can’t wait to try this recipe.

  2. Katie Brown says

    November 7, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    I love this recipe, thank you! I’ve just made it and the cake itself came out of the oven sunken in the middle. Any idea why that’s happened? Or if it will still be okay to eat? Thank you again!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      November 8, 2020 at 8:27 am

      There are a couple reasons for this, you either opened the door while the cake was baking or didn’t put the batter in the oven as soon as it was ready.

      Reply
  3. Christine says

    September 25, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    Would you consider this kid friendly? My toddler already thinks dark gingerbread is strong tasting….so how does the molasses play out in this cake? Thankyou! Love your recipes!

    Reply
    • jo says

      September 25, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      I think it’s kid friendly, it is very fragrant and caramel-y, sweet and rich. The molasses is what makes the cake more moist and gives a chewier texture.

      Reply
      • Christine says

        September 25, 2020 at 8:21 pm

        Awesome! Sounds delish! Will give it a go 🙂 I am certain it will not disappoint!

  4. Gabi Bitton says

    August 27, 2020 at 5:04 am

    This recipe sounds Sooo good! Really happy that it’s in cups and tsp, can’t wait to make it next week 😀 so is the brown sugar muscovado sugar? Or just normal brown sugar? I presume it’s muscovado sugar as it’s got a caramel like taste to it

    Hope to hear back soon 🙂

    Reply
    • jo says

      August 27, 2020 at 9:22 am

      It’s just normal brown sugar, I used dark!

      Reply
  5. Shafieka McRae says

    December 18, 2019 at 6:47 am

    5 stars
    My husband is a full blown Scott and grew up with this pudding. He said this is the best one he ever tasted! I love the mixture of the molasses and golden syrup that gives it a richer taste!!!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      December 18, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      That’s a wonderful compliment! We’re glad you both loved it.

      Reply
  6. Tony says

    March 10, 2019 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    Jo
    My good lady and I polished off a sticky toffee pud just minutes ago that we bought over the weekend in Northwich.
    We are both foodies, the good lady also being an exceptional cook. She and I are huge officionados of sticky puds, having them as desserts wherever we travel.
    We are both in agreement that this was by a distance the best we have tasted.
    It was light, tasty, everything one could hope for!!
    Congratulations and thanks, it was awesome!!
    I’m not one generally for leaving comments, but this was SOOO worth it.
    Tony and Lesley ( Northwich)

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 10, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Thanks, Tony! I really appreciate you letting me know you and Lesley enjoyed the recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Anna says

    December 15, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Did you actually use blackstrap molasses in this cake? Or true molasses?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      December 16, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      You can use whatever molasses you have.

      Reply
  8. imgrum says

    March 28, 2018 at 12:15 am

    5 stars
    I tried Sticky toffee pudding once and I like it, it’s great that I could try it at home from now on. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 28, 2018 at 2:54 am

      My pleasure, you’ll love it!

      Reply
  9. Barbara Karr says

    March 22, 2018 at 5:26 am

    5 stars
    Rich and decadent! Dates and the toffee topping are an impressive combination!! Serve to guests and they will ask for the recipe, and smile all the way home. B Karr

    Reply
  10. Laurinda says

    March 16, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    This sounds SO GOOD! Do you have a homemade replacement for the Golden Syrup? Is not available everywhere

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 16, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      A substitute is mentioned in the recipe notes.

      Reply
  11. Jenna says

    March 15, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    OMG This looks heavenly. Sticky toffee pudding literally is my favorite dessert but I’ve never made it at home and your recipe looks so easy. Thanks for sharing another great recipe!

    Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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