Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

By LLRedd

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped,
• plus 8 whole dates for garnish
• 3 ⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 ⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, halved
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• For toffee sauce
• 1 ⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 ⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup brown sugar

Details

Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon baking powder, salt, and chopped dates. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Drain and reserve dates.
3. Butter and flour a 9-inch square cake pan. Cream butter and brown sugar in bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed about 2 1⁄2 minutes. Add vanilla (scrape the bean, if using) and egg.
4. Sift flour and the remaining 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder together; fold in the date mixture and add to the bowl. Reduce mixing speed to low and mix until smooth. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
5. Place cake in pan on a cooling rack. Poke holes at 1-inch intervals all over the cake using a chopstick. Pour half of Sticky Toffee Sauce over the cake and let it rest about 20 minutes. The cake can be stored up to 1 day in a sealed container in the refrigerator and reheated just before serving in a 350°F oven about 20 minutes, adding more sauce if it seems too dry.
6. To serve, slice the cake into squares, heat the remaining sauce, and heavily drizzle it over each slice, topping with Cinnamon Whipped Cream and garnishing with a whole date.

INSTRUCTIONS For Toffee Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Whisk to incorporate. Reduce heat to low, continuing to whisk until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes.