Tasty sticky toffee pudding

Sticky date pudding is the perfect dessert for a cold winter’s evening. This ultimate comfort dish is a delicious blend of flavours and textures with moist cake saturated in rich warm toffee sauce and cold cream on the side.

A divinely gooey sticky date pudding is the ultimate winter treat. This moist cake is teamed with heated sauce and served with a dash of cold cream or vanilla ice-cream to produce a belly-pleasing combination of textures, flavours and temperatures. The chewiness of the dates is great with the smooth sponginess of the cake. This is a definite crowd pleaser and is a sure winner for your next dinner party with friends or Sunday night dinner in with family.

Sticky date toffee pudding

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

• 150 grams dates
• 250 millilitres hot water
• 60 grams butter, room temperature
• 60 grams castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150 grams self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

• 250 millilitres double cream
• 200 grams butter, melted
• 400 grams brown sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Butter and flour a round or square cake tin.
3. Remove the stones of the dates and chop into small pieces.
4. Place the dates and water in a pan and bring to the boil for a few minutes so the dates soften. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together slowly until the mixture is pale, and light and fluffy.
6. Keep beating and add in the eggs one at a time.
7. Keep beating as you gradually add the flour, bicarb, ginger and vanilla.
8. Keep beating still and throw in the soaked dates and water.
9. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin.
10. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is cooked through.
11. Meanwhile, to make the toffee sauce, pour the cream, butter and sugar into a pot and stir.
12. Add the vanilla pod and let simmer for a few minutes or until the mixture has formed a thick sauce.
13. While still warm, cut the cake into slices and serve in bowls with the toffee sauce poured over the top.
14. If you choose, add a few dollops of whipped vanilla cream (recipe below) on the side.

Vanilla cream

Serve the sticky date pudding with a few dollops of vanilla ice-cream or vanilla cream on the side. The blend of temperatures will top off an already perfect dessert.

Ingredients:

• 125 millilitres thickened cream
• 2 teaspoons icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions:

1. Beat the cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence together in a bowl until firm peaks form.
2. Scoop a few spoonfuls into a bowl with a slice of sticky date pudding. Delish!

more dessert recipes

Australian Labour Day dessert
Peach and almond trifle recipe
Sweet taste, trim waist