Conversations about travel make me nostalgic not just for the place but for the food too. I may not mark my attendance at the ‘must visit’ places but I always find my way to the ‘must eat’. Little wonder then that writing about Scotland (read Scotland: Why, When, How) has me craving some whiskey and the sinful Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The Sticky Toffee Pudding is essentially a British dessert but also marks its appearance in listings of traditional Scottish food.

My first encounter with this heaven on a plate (though I say that for every cake dessert!) was a pre-packed piece picked up in Bristol. In Scotland, however, I ensured it was part of a meal, served the way it should be – with hot toffee sauce poured on top and vanilla ice-cream on the side.

There are three parts to this dessert – the dates, the cake, the sauce. You will need to prep the dates before you move on to the cake. The sauce can be made before you start the cake or even while you are waiting for the cake to be cooked. The cake and sauce can be kept at room temperature for a day. Any longer and you need to keep both the cake and the sauce in the refrigerator. Do warm them before serving.

Psst… If you’ve got toffee sauce leftover, pour it over some popcorn, give it a shake and whoopee! You’ve got yourself some toffee-flavoured popcorn.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

The Sticky Toffee Pudding is essentially a British dessert but also marks its appearance in listings of traditional Scottish food.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Scotland

Keyword: cake, pudding, toffee

Author: Rapti B

Ingredients

For cake

• 1½ cup All purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¾ cup Brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter
• 2 Eggs

For sauce

• 1¼ cup Black coffee (hot)
• 1½ cup Chopped Mejdool dates
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1¼ cup Brown sugar
• ½ cup Heavy cream
• ¼ cup Unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract/essence

Instructions

For Toffee Syrup I

1. Place the chopped dates in a deep pan, pour in the brewed coffee and bring to a boil. Simmer until the dates are cooked. The dates need space to do their thing later hence the need for a deep pan.

2. Once the dates are cooked, take a deep breath, hold and add the baking soda. There will be a bit of bubbling, fizzing and some stinking but that is fine. It will likely turn a strange colour too but don’t fret.
3. Switch off the heat, set aside the dates to cool and have a quick cuppa.

For Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, butter and flour your baking tin and set aside.

2. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. 

3. In a second bigger bowl, mix the butter and sugar till fluffy. Add one egg and mix thoroughly. Add the second egg and whisk the batter.

4. Add half the flour mixture to this buttery mix and beat until combined. 

5. Pour in the date mixture, give it a quick stir and add the remaining flour mix. Mix well. Try not to over beat.

6. Pour the batter into the baking tin and pop it into the oven for around 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

7. Once the cake is done, allow it to cool for a FEW minutes before poking some holes in it. 

For Toffee Syrup II

1. In a thick-bottomed saucepan, mix the sugar, cream, butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

2. Boil for around 3 minutes and don’t stop stirring. If you are in the danger of getting high on the delicious smell then use a timer. 

3. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, whisk and set aside. 

4. Bring the cake out of hiding and pour in some of the toffee sauce on it. Let the sauce work its magic, say for about 20-30 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve topped with sauce, a side of vanilla ice cream, and some hot coffee.

Recipe Notes

• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
• You can use any variety of seedless dates; better the quality, better your dessert.
• Measure out the ingredients and set them aside before you begin. You do not want to be fumbling for something midway and burn the dates or stop stirring the toffee sauce.
• It was exceptionally cold the day I was making this pudding and the sauce turned rock solid. I had to heat it on medium flame to make it pourable and it tasted as divine.

Don’t forget to tell me if you make this lush cake! You can follow (and tag) me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates; subscribe to be a part of the mailing list.

photos: Vaibhav Tanna and Rapti Bhaumick