Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Prepare Dates

Place the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them and stir in the baking soda. Let sit 10–15 minutes until very soft and slightly foamy; mash lightly with a fork or immersion blender to a chunky purée and set aside to cool to warm.

Preheat and Prepare Ramekins

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 9x9-inch pan) with 2 tsp unsalted butter and dust with demerara or brown sugar; tap out excess.

Cream Butter and Sugars

In a large bowl, beat the softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed.

Add Eggs and Vanilla

Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition until incorporated. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Combine Dry Ingredients

Whisk together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt in a separate bowl.

Assemble Batter

Fold about one-third of the dry mixture into the creamed butter to lighten the batter, then add half of the cooled date purée and half of the 1/2 cup buttermilk; continue alternating dry mixture, remaining date purée and remaining buttermilk, folding gently until just combined. Scrape down the bowl; do not overmix.

Fill and Bake

Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins (or pour into prepared pan). Smooth tops and bake in preheated oven for 22–28 minutes (ramekins) or 30–35 minutes (9x9 pan), until cakes are risen, spring back lightly and a skewer inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Rest

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. If using ramekins, run a thin knife around edges and invert each onto a plate or serve directly in ramekin.

Make Sauce

While cakes bake, combine 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer and Finish

Let the sauce simmer gently for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness if needed. Keep warm over very low heat or in a thermos until serving.

Warm Milk and Cream

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until steam appears and sugar dissolves; do not boil.

Temper Egg Yolks

In a bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks until smooth. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks in a steady stream while whisking constantly to temper. Return the tempered yolks to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Cook Custard

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil to prevent curdling.

Strain and Chill

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp salt. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight until very cold.

Churn and Add Pecans

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. During the last minute of churning, add 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans. Transfer the gelato to a container and harden in the freezer for 1–2 hours for scoopable texture.

Plate

If inverted, place warm sticky toffee pudding on plates. Spoon generous amounts of warm toffee sauce over the cake so sauce soaks into surface and pools around it.

Add Gelato

Add one scoop (about 1/2 cup) of maple pecan gelato beside or atop the pudding so it begins to melt into the sauce.

Finish

Garnish with a few extra toasted pecans and a fresh mint leaf if desired. Serve immediately while pudding and sauce are warm and gelato is cold.