Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Prepare dates

Place the pitted dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them, stir in the baking soda, and let sit for 10 minutes to soften. After 10 minutes, mash the dates with a fork or blend briefly to a chunky purée; set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat and prepare tin

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional. Grease an 8-inch (20–22 cm) square baking pan or six 250–300 ml pudding ramekins and line the base with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer or 4–5 minutes by hand.

Add eggs and vanilla

Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to avoid curdling. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Combine wet and dry

Fold the mashed date mixture into the butter-sugar-egg mixture until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined — do not overmix.

Bake

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan or divide among ramekins. Smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes for a square pan, or 18–22 minutes for individual ramekins, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Rest

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. If serving warm, keep warm by covering loosely with foil while you make the sauce and custard.

While the pudding is baking or after it comes out, make the toffee sauce. In a medium saucepan over low–medium heat, melt the butter. Add the light brown sugar and stir until dissolved and bubbling gently.

Carefully add the double cream (it may spit), increase the heat slightly and simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract, dark rum (if using), and salt. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt. Keep the sauce warm; if it thickens on standing, reheat gently and whisk in a splash of cream or water.

Place the milk and optional cream in a medium saucepan with the vanilla. Heat gently until just below simmering (small bubbles around the edge). Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar and cornstarch until pale and slightly thickened.

Temper the yolks by slowly pouring about one-third of the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring constantly.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 4–6 minutes). Do not boil. Remove from heat and pass through a fine sieve into a clean bowl if you want an extra-smooth custard. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming and keep warm or chill slightly if serving at room temperature.

While sauce and custard are finishing, toast the walnuts. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp butter and the walnuts. Toast, stirring frequently, for 4–6 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Transfer to a plate to cool; sprinkle with sea salt flakes if using.

To serve, place a warm portion of sticky toffee pudding on each plate (or serve ramekin directly). Spoon warm toffee sauce liberally over each portion, then pour or pour alongside a generous amount of vanilla custard. Scatter toasted walnuts on top for crunch and finish with an extra drizzle of sauce if desired.

Leftovers: store pudding and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm pudding and sauce gently in a low oven or microwave before serving; reheat custard gently over low heat, whisking, or serve chilled.