Sticky Toffee Butter Cake Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square or 9-inch round cake pan with the melted butter and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large mixing bowl, beat the 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add eggs and vanilla

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract and mix until combined. If the batter looks slightly curdled, that is okay.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt until evenly distributed.

Combine wet and dry

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then half of the 1/2 cup sour cream, then another third of the dry, the remaining sour cream plus 1/4 cup whole milk, and finish with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined; do not overmix.

Bake

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30–35 minutes (time may vary by oven and pan).

Cool

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, then invert onto the rack, remove parchment, and invert again so the top side is up. Keep the cake warm or at room temperature while you prepare the sauce.

Make the sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Add 1 cup dark brown sugar and stir until sugar is moistened and begins to dissolve, about 2 minutes.

Simmer with cream

Carefully add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (if using). Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3–5 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

Finish sauce

Remove from heat. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and the seeds scraped from 1 Tahitian vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract. Taste and adjust salt or vanilla. If you prefer a thinner sauce for drizzling, stir in up to 2 tablespoons more cream.

Keep warm

Keep the toffee sauce warm over very low heat or in a warm thermos while you serve the cake; it will thicken as it cools.

Assemble

Place a generous wedge or square of the warm cake on each plate. Spoon warm toffee sauce over the cake, allowing it to soak into the surface and pool on the plate.

Add ice cream and garnish

Top each portion with a scoop of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. Finish with a light pinch of coarse or flaky sea salt if desired to brighten the flavors.

Serve

Serve immediately while cake and sauce are warm and ice cream is cold. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks; gently rewarm before serving. Store cake wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days.