Michelle Darmody: How to bake a classic Sticky Toffee Pudding — and mistakes to avoid

There is no getting away from the fact that this is a sweet dessert - it says it in the name. 

There is no getting away from the fact that this is a sweet dessert, it says it in the name. 

It is a recipe that people often ask about, and is the finish to many a bistro meal. 

In fact, it has been served in inns and taverns since its invention in the early 1900s, and is one dessert that definitely works best when served warm. 

The warmth adds to the comfort of soft spongy texture and allows the flavours of the dates and treacle to shine.

In this recipe, the addition of treacle helps to offset some of the sweetness of the dates and brown sugar.

Treacle is one of those ingredients that adds a very singular taste to baking and cooking. 

It works in a bbq sauce, as a back note to a dressing, or adds a malty depth to a gingerbread loaf.

I am a big custard fan, and will always aim to serve this with a hot custard, but it is nice with a plain vanilla ice cream of some freshly whipped cream. 

If I am making my own custard to accompany this I tend to make it with a bit less sugar than normal so it offsets the dessert.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

There is no getting away from the fact that this is a sweet dessert, it says it in the name.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 50 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 150g stoned medjool dates

• 175ml boiling water

• 130g light brown sugar

• 85g soft butter

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 tbs treacle

• 175g self raising flour, sieved

• 1 tsp bread soda, sieved

• 100 ml milk

• 30g golden raisins

• 20g chopped pecan nuts

• for the sauce:

• 115g soft butter

• 90g light brown sugar

• 20g treacle

• 140mls cream

Method

1. Soak the chopped dates in the boiling water for about 30 minutes or until completely soft.

2. Mash the dates into a paste with a fork.

3. Grease and flour a 2lb bundt tin very well. Set aside in a cool place. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

4. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

5. Slowly incorporate the eggs and treacle into the butter mixture.

6. Sieve the flour and bread soda together and add this a third at a time to the mixture.

7. Stir in the milk, raisins, pecan nuts and the mashed dates until everything is combined.

8. Scoop the mixture into your prepared bundt tin. Bake in the centre of your oven for about 35 minutes until it is firm to touch.

9. Allow to cool in the tin then …

10. To make the sauce put all of the relevant ingredients into a heavy based saucepan over a low heat. Heat slowly until the butter has melted.

11. Turn up the heat and boil for about three minutes until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Bakers' Tips

While this pudding is supposed to be a little stodgy, and this is one of its charms, it should not be not overly heavy. To avoid a heavy sponge to not overmix the batter. Overmixing can result in the sponge being tough as well as heavy due to overdeveloped gluten.

If you find it difficult to measure sticky ingredients, such as treacle, you can coat your spoons, measuring cups or weighing scales in a light oil, such as sunflower oil. It will help to prevent the ingredient from sticking as much.

You will need to bake the sponge until it is firm and springs back when gently pressed with your fingers.

Make sure that every crevice of your tin is very thoroughly greased and that the flour is evenly coating all parts of the tin.

When you are removing the cake from the bundt tin gently pull away the edges of the cake from the tin with your fingers or with the tip of a spatula, then swiftly turn onto a large plate. Tap the top of the tin before very gently and slowly lifting the tin from the cake.

When you are serving it is best to let the pudding stand for about ten minutes before you do so that the sauce can soak into the cake and so that the dessert cools enough to be eaten comfortably. Don't pour any sauce over the sponge until it has been removed from the bundt tin.

Because the desert is served warm the sponge is at its best served on the day it is made. If the sponge is reheated there is the risk that it can dry out. Another issue is that the sponge will become too firm if stored in a fridge overnight. The sauce can however be made the day before and heated to bring it back to pouring consistency.

You can freeze sticky toffee pudding but make sure to freeze the sauce and the sponge separately. You may run into issues with the sponge drying out when reheating but the water contained by freezing helps to mitigate this slightly.

3 delicious variations

Date & ginger loaf

For this version you can leave out the sauce altogether and bake the cake in a loaf tin. The addition of ginger works very well with the soft texture of the dates. 

I like to add some of the syrup from the crystalized ginger to the cake as well. 

In place of the 30g golden raisins and 20g chopped pecan nuts add 40g of crystallised ginger finely chopped then pour 1 tbs of the syrup that the ginger comes in over the cake after it has been turned out of the mould but is still warm.

Cinnamon & banana pudding

Use 100g of dates and 115mls of boiling water. Add one ripe mashed banana to the mixture when you are adding the mashed dates to the mixture. 

Add 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to the bread soda and flour when you are sieving it. If cinnamon is a favourite of yours you can always add a little extra.

Fig & brandy pudding

If dates are not your favourite you can substitute them for dried figs and soak them in the same way. 

For a boozy hit, try adding a splash of brandy to the water when soaking.