Sticky Date Cake
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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Dessert
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
- 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 x8 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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WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?
HI, I’M HAJAR
Welcome to Moribyan! This is my blog where I love to share all my favorite recipes and lifestyle tips with you all. If I’m not cooking here, I’m either at Trader Joe’s, the gym, or eating a bagel.
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Loved it. Made it twice in a week for others to get rid of some dates. Considering adding some nuts in the future.
I haven’t even eaten this cake but I can guarantee it is going to taste heavenly. It is in the oven and it smells so good.. also, I tasted the batter and it tasted really good. Only change I made was to add cinnamon. I can’t wait to eat this cake.
Tried this recipe for the first time and it was super well loved by everyone!! Can not stop at just one round. Will definitely be my go-to recipe for get togethers. 🤤
Everyone loves it. I did make it while fasting and gave it (without tasting it) to guests who were mourning the loss of a loved one. It was a hit. And easy to make, sauce and all.
This was delicious. It was easy to make and everyone loved it. The only downer was having to share with the rest of the family..
This date pudding is one of the best dessert recipe here. I love it, my friends loved it even the ones who don’t like sweetness. This dessert balances sweetness very well. However, one suggestion while making the toffee sauce (as I made twice by now), you can decrease the amount of butter or else it turns out to be a bit oily and takes time to thicken.
Again thank you for such a wonderful recipe ❤️
This cake is amazing !! 10/10. Made it twice in less than 2 weeks !
I first tried this cake at my friends iftar a couple weeks ago and i had to ask for the recipe! This cake is delicious, so moist and surprisingly not too sweet. I’ve made it 3 times already and it never gets old.
My husband loves dates and I made this for his birthday today. Simply amazing! 💓 Thank you so much!
I tried this cake for the first time. It was as delicious as it looks here. Thank you so much for the great recipe. I reduced sugar and also used coconut and some low cal brown sugar. It maintained the texture.