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This delicious sticky date pudding recipe is lovely and moist, decadent and moreish. Drizzled with a toffee sauce and finished with toasted walnuts for the added nutty crunch. Making it so addictive that you’ll be coming back for more!
If I had to pick my favourite desserts it would probably be sticky date pudding.
Something about the combination of cake and caramel sauce that’s magical and just a little bit addicting. Its rich, moist and the perfect dessert which I for one can indulge in any time of day. Not to mention, sticky date pudding is the very definition of comfort food, in my humble opinion. It gives you all types of warm fuzzy feelings inside!
So, it made sense that I constructed my version of sticky date pudding. Which now means that I can eat so much more of it!
Recipe inspired by Cupcake Jemma’s sticky toffee pudding and toffee sauce adapted from Bon Appetit’s sticky toffee date cake recipe
Ingredients for these sticky date pudding bundts
- Pitted Dates: It wouldn’t be a date pudding without dates! Get the best quality and softest ones you can find. Then chop them up roughly so it’s easier to mush them up later into a paste.
- Baking Soda: Helps to soften the dates along with the hot water. When stirred will create a bit of a fizz.
- Sour Cream: To lighten up and loosen the mixture ever so slightly. I prefer using the lite version but the normal full-fat one works too.
- Butter: If you forget to soften your butter before you use it, no worries, just pop cubed pieces into the microwave. Heat in 20-second intervals on 50% power (this is the most vital part!) and you should end up with some soft butter. Don’t forget to give it a good stir too in between.
- Soft Brown Sugar: Providing all the rich sweetness and caramel flavours.
- Egg: Helps to bind it all together. More about this and other egg uses can be found here. Room temperature is generally best to combine with all the other ingredients. If you keep your eggs in the fridge, pop the egg into some warm water to bring it back up to temperature before using.
- Baking powder: Enables the mixture to rise into a beautiful pudding.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are added for a touch of spice and an extra boost of flavour for this recipe. Gives it depth and works well with the dates.
- Wholemeal Spelt: When testing out this recipe I found that spelt gave the most desired fluffiness and texture that I was after. It provides a sweet and slightly nutty flavour, which makes it perfect for this recipe!
Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup (50g) Pitted Dates Chopped
- ⅔ cup (140ml) Hot Water
- ½ tsp (4g) Baking Soda
- 1 ½ tbsp (22g) Sour Cream
- 50 g Butter softened
- ½ cup (80g) Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 1 Egg Room temp, size 7
- ¾ cup (100g) Wholemeal Spelt Flour
- 1 tsp (4g) Baking Powder
- ½ tsp (2g) Ginger
- ½ tsp (2g) Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1.5g) Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
Toffee Sauce
- 100 g Butter
- 100 g Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 2 tbsp (30g) Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C bake. Butter a mini bundt tin or 22cm cake tin.
- Combine dates and water in a bowl, then stir in the baking powder. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- In a bowl, using a whisk or electric hand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and whisk until combined.
- Using a fork, mash the dates with the soaking liquid as best as possible to make a thick paste and then stir in sour cream. Add into the butter mixture, along with the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Fold until just combined
- Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake for 22 minutes or until the cake bounces back when touched and a skewer inserted comes out mostly clean. It’s often better to slightly undercook the cake.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin.
Toffee Sauce
- Heat the butter and sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan. Keep constant watch and stir continuously to ensure it heats evenly and doesn’t burn at the bottom.
- When the sugar has dissolved, allow it to simmer for a further 3 minutes, where it will begin to bubble and thicken.
- Remove from the heat and immediately plunge the bottom of the pot into some cold water to prevent further cooking. Stir in sour cream until creamy and smooth.
- Brush some of the toffee sauce all over the puddings to stop them from drying out.
- Serve with toasted nuts and extra toffee sauce. Optional: Ice cream, cream, yoghurt or extra sour cream!
If you give this recipe a go, don’t forget to tag @theculinaryletter and #theculinaryletter, so I can see all your wonderful creations!
Until next time, stay curious!
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