Classic Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

What’s not to like about this classic dessert - a soft spongy date pudding smothered in rich caramel sauce, a dollop of cream, or a scoop of vanilla icecream, or both - dessert heaven… and it’s easy to make.

The Sticky Date Pudding, or Sticky Toffee Pudding, as the Brits call it, first hit our shores about 1984 and has become one of our classic desserts. I still have the original recipe page from Australian Gourmet Traveller where it was first published and became such a hit. I haven’t strayed from the original recipe, but have tried lots of variations.

My Mandarin Sticky Date Pudding with Ginger & Pecans is worth try too.

You can make everyone individual puddings or one big one to share, just make sure there is plenty of Caramel Sauce.

Sticky Date Pudding Ingredients

Cooked dates

Adding the date mixture

Ready for the oven

Cooked pudding

Individual Pudding

Ingredients

• 170g dates, pitted, chopped
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 300ml water
• 60g butter, softened
• 170g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 170g SR flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Caramel Sauce

• 200g soft brown sugar
• 1/2 cup thick cream
• 130g butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method

For the cake

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan forced
2. Grease a 23cm cake tin with removable base with butter and line the base with baking paper.
3. Place the dates in a small saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the bicarb soda. Stir well to mix and allow to cool.
4. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Stir in the date mixture, vanilla essence, and then fold in the flour.
6. Spoon into the prepared tin.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
8. Cool on a wire rack and remove from the tin.
9. Store in a airtight container, or cut into serving portions and store in Ziplock bags in the freezer.

Caramel Sauce

11. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Notes

It’s easier to cut the cake when it is cold, and then briefly re-heat the slices in the Microwave for serving.