Dreamy Sticky Toffee Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dates

01 - About 18 medjool dates, pitted and chopped, weighing around 10 oz
02 - 1 3/4 cups of water
03 - 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

→ Cake

04 - Room-temperature unsalted butter, half a cup
05 - 2 teaspoons of baking powder
06 - 2 large eggs, also at room temperature
07 - 2 cups of plain all-purpose flour
08 - 1 1/4 cups of packed dark brown sugar (demerara style)
09 - 4 tablespoons of fancy molasses (avoid blackstrap)
10 - 2 teaspoons of vanilla

→ Toffee Sauce

11 - Half a cup of unsalted butter
12 - 1/2 cup of heavy cream
13 - 1 packed-half-cup of dark brown sugar (demerara)
14 - One tablespoon of fancy molasses
15 - Two teaspoons of vanilla

→ Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

16 - 4 big egg whites
17 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
18 - Granulated sugar, 1 cup
19 - 1 teaspoon vanilla

# Instructions:

01 - In a medium pot, add the dates and water. Heat it to a boil, then let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Take it off the heat, stir in the baking soda, and set aside while you mix the cake batter. Before using, mash them up but don’t pour out the water.
02 - Turn your oven on to 350°F and butter and flour three 6-inch cake pans.
03 - Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside for now.
04 - Cream together the butter and sugar with a stand mixer using a paddle, running it on medium-high for about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed and drop in the eggs one by one, making sure each is mixed completely. Toss in the molasses and vanilla, blending until smooth.
05 - Add the dry flour mixture to the wet mix in about three parts, blending with the mashed warm dates. Mix until smooth.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the coated cake pans. Stick them in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The cakes should spring to the touch and be mostly clean when you check with a toothpick. While that bakes, whip up the toffee sauce.
07 - Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack while still in their pans. Then turn them out onto racks to cool completely.
08 - Stir all the toffee ingredients in a medium pot and bring the blend to a boil. While boiling, stir now and then, and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
09 - Mix the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, place the bowl over a double boiler on the stove. Keep whisking non-stop until it’s hot and feels smooth when touched (around 3 minutes) or until it hits 160°F using a candy thermometer.
10 - Put the bowl back on the stand mixer. Whisk the meringue at medium-high until it forms stiff peaks and cools down to room temperature (this will take 5-10 minutes). The bowl should no longer feel warm.
11 - Swap to the paddle attachment. Gradually add small butter cubes, blending until the mixture turns perfectly smooth. Mix in vanilla and keep beating till it’s fluffy.
12 - Trim the cakes to level them out and remove the hard top layer. Use a skewer or similar tool to poke small holes into the cakes. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of warm toffee sauce over each layer, spread it, and let them cool down completely.
13 - Put one of the cakes onto your cake stand or plate. Spread 2/3 cup of buttercream evenly on top. Put on the next layer and repeat until they’re stacked.
14 - Add a thin layer of frosting all around the cake. Use an icing scraper to smooth the sides so the cake peeks through in spots. Smooth the top with a spatula.
15 - Slide the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes.
16 - If needed, gently warm the toffee sauce until it’s thick but pourable. Spoon little puddles along the top edge of the cooled cake, then let the sauce drizzle down the sides. Spread some sauce on top to finish it off.

# Notes:

01 - Make sure no yolk gets into the egg whites, and keep your mixer bowl grease-free. Otherwise, the meringue will not turn stiff.
02 - If the buttercream looks like it’s separating or curdling at some point, just keep beating it until it becomes smooth.
03 - Original cake recipe inspired by Rock Recipes.

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