Sticky Toffee Pudding Bundt Cake
This Brittish-inspired sticky toffee pudding bundt cake is simple enough for everyday eating, but festive enough for your next holiday dessert. It's on my list of top favorite cake recipes ever.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 9 ounces (about 14-16) medjool dates pitted
- 1 ⅛ cup boiling water
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 9 tablespoons butter (4.5 ounces) room temperature
- 1 ⅛ cup (8.25 ounces) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ⅞ cups (9.4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sauce:
- ¾ cup (5.75 ounces) packed brown sugar see note for honey variation
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch salt
- additional heavy whipping cream for drizzling optional
Instructions
For Cake:
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a bundt pan and dust lightly with flour, shaking off excess flour.
-
In a blender jar, add pitted dates, boiling water, baking soda and vanilla extract. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth and let sit for 10-15 minutes while preparing the rest of the cake.
-
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar with a handheld or stand mixer until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and with a wooden spoon, mix until combined.
-
Fold in the date mixture until combined, being careful not to overmix. It's okay if it's not completely mixed. It's kind of pretty having some swirls of dark and lighter color in the batter and it still tastes amazing.
-
Spread batter evenly in the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in preheated oven until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the cake will be dry.
-
Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the bundt pan. Then flip onto a serving plate or a cooling rack.
For Sauce:
-
Combine the sugar (see note for honey variation), butter, cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the sauce is smooth, about 7-9 minutes.
To Serve:
-
Slice the cake into individual servings and pour a few tablespoons of the warm sauce on top. My favorite way to eat this cake is slightly warm. It's also delicious drizzled with a few teaspoons of heavy cream in addition to the sauce.
Recipe Notes
1. For the sauce, I sometimes make a honey variation by substituting ½ cup honey for the brown sugar and add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. It tastes completely different than the brown sugar version, but is still very good.
2. I use large Medjool dates for this recipe that I buy in the produce section at Costco. I pit them by digging my fingers into their soft centers and pulling out the pit by hand.
3. This cake can be made up to a day in advance if covered well so it doesn't dry out. The sauce can be made up to a week or two in advance and refrigerated. After being refrigerated, it warms up easily in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
4. I've never tried it, but I'm guessing this cake would work just fine being made in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. If you try it, keep an eye on the time closely, as it may take a bit less time to bake.