Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dates
01 -
18 medjool dates, pitted and chopped, weighing about 10 oz
02 -
1 3/4 cups of water
03 -
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
→ Cake
04 -
2 teaspoons of baking powder
05 -
2 cups of plain flour
06 -
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
07 -
4 tablespoons of molasses (use light-bodied, not blackstrap)
08 -
1 1/4 cups of dark brown sugar, firmly packed
09 -
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
10 -
2 large eggs, brought to room temperature
→ Toffee Sauce
11 -
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
12 -
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
13 -
1/2 cup of heavy cream
14 -
1 tablespoon of molasses
15 -
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
→ Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
16 -
4 large egg whites
17 -
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
18 -
1 1/2 cups of butter, softened to room temp
19 -
1 cup of white sugar
# Instructions:
01 -
In a medium pot, toss in the dates and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in baking soda. Leave it to sit while you’re making the batter. Before adding to the cake, mash the dates well without draining the water.
02 -
Set your oven to 350°F. Take three 6-inch cake tins and make sure they're greased and floured to prevent sticking.
03 -
Mix the flour and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Put it aside for now.
04 -
With a stand mixer and paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 3 minutes. Lower the speed while you add the eggs one by one. When both eggs are in, mix in the molasses and vanilla until everything's combined.
05 -
Stir in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the hot mashed dates. Mix until evenly blended.
06 -
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the cakes spring back lightly to your touch and a toothpick inserted near the center pulls out with few crumbs. Cook the toffee sauce while you wait.
07 -
Let the cakes sit in their tins on a rack for 10 minutes before flipping them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
08 -
In a medium pot, toss all the toffee sauce ingredients together. Heat on medium until it boils, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
09 -
Put the sugar and egg whites into your mixer bowl and combine with a whisk. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, double-boiler style, and heat while constantly whisking until it’s warm, no longer gritty, or reaches 160°F.
10 -
After removing the bowl from heat, attach it to your stand mixer. Whisk at medium-high until the meringue is shiny, firm, and cool to the touch (roughly 5-10 minutes).
11 -
Switch to the paddle attachment and slowly add small cubes of butter while mixing. It might look separated at some point but keep going until smooth. Add in vanilla and whip again until creamy.
12 -
Cut the tops off each cake to make them flat and remove the top crust. Use a skewer to poke small holes throughout the layers. Spread around 2-3 tablespoons of warm toffee sauce on top of every layer. Let the layers cool completely.
13 -
Put one cake layer on a serving tray or stand. Spread 2/3 cup of buttercream on top, smooth it out, and repeat for the other layers.
14 -
Spread a thin layer of frosting on the entire cake. Use a scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides until parts of the cake show through. Flatten the top using an offset spatula.
15 -
Pop the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes.
16 -
Rewarm the toffee sauce gently if needed, just until it’s pourable but not runny. Use a small spoon to drip the sauce over the edges of your cake. Spread the rest over the top surface evenly.
# Notes:
01 -
Make sure your egg whites are completely yolk-free and that your mixer tools have no grease, or the meringue won’t stiffen properly.
02 -
If your buttercream looks lumpy or separated, keep mixing. It’ll come back together.
03 -
This cake idea comes from Rock Recipes.