Sticky Date Cake is the most indulgent heavenly dessert you’ll ever have! Sweetened with dates and brown sugar, the cake is incredibly moist with a rich color and flavor. It all gets finished off with a decadent toffee sauce and each bite just melts in your mouth!
I think Sticky Date Cake or Toffee Pudding is up there in the top 5 favorite desserts. I ate it so much while visiting London and I’ve been dying to perfect a recipe for it at home since then. The cake practically melts in your mouth and the toffee sauce is the perfect addition. I love enjoying it a la mode with a scoop of ice cream on top. Let’s get baking!
Making the Cake
The first step to making the cake is soaking the dates. The best dates to use for this recipe are Medjool dates – they are caramel-like both in taste and texture. Soak them in hot milk with baking soda for around 10 minutes or until softened and then mash the dates to break them apart and form a thick paste. I prefer a bit of a chunky texture but you can also add it to a blender to save yourself the effort.
Once the dates are ready to go, add the paste to a mixing bowl along with brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and softened butter. Beat together with a handheld electric whisk or stand mixer and paddle attachment.
Then add in all the dry ingredients which include all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine until a thick batter forms.
Transfer the batter to an 8×8 square pan or circular pan that’s been lined with parchment paper or buttered. Bake in the oven at 350°F for around 35 minutes.
The Toffee Sauce
Time for the star of this dessert! There is only one thing that is better than cake and that is a cake drowned in a creamy caramel-tasting toffee sauce.
HERE ARE ALL THE INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- unsalted butter
- heavy cream
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
To a small pot or saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Once thickened, take off the heat.
To ensure the cake soaks up all the toffee sauce goodness, poke it all over with a toothpick. Cover the top in toffee sauce and let it soak in for 20 to 30 minutes. Then slice the cake into 9 pieces and serve each slice with more toffee sauce on top and if you’d like, whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Watch How to Make It
More Desserts to Sink Your Sweet Tooth Into
- Mini Apple Pies
- Strawberry Croissants
- Fudgy Brownies
- Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat
- Birthday Cake Rice Krispies Treats
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Sticky Date Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 8 ounces Medjool dates, chopped
- 1 cup boiling milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
TOFFEE SAUCE
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, add the Medjool dates, milk, and baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the dates are softened. Then mash it together to form a paste. You can also add it all into a blender and blend until smooth alternatively but I prefer just mashing it.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the date mixture, softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. You can also use an electric mixer.
- Then add in the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine together until a thick batter forms.
- Line an 8×8 square pan or circular pan with parchment paper or butter it to avoid sticking.
- Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the toffee sauce. To a small pot or saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Once thickened, take off the heat and set aside.
- When the cake is done, allow it to cool for 15 minutes minutes. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes all across the top.
- Pour a generous amount of the toffee sauce along the top and let it soak in for 30 minutes.
- Serve each individual slice with more warm toffee sauce on top and optional, enjoy with a scoop of ice cream on top.
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