Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding

Name: Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 33 min
Total time: 103 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1½ teaspoons apple spice mix (see Recipe Notes); 2 medium apples (small dice (¼-inch), about 2 cups, see Recipe Notes); 1 cup dates (about 15 dates, pitted, roughly chopped); ¾ cup water; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature); ⅓ cup honey; ¼ cup light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon molasses (unsulfured, not blackstrap); 2 large eggs (at room temperature); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ⅔ cup heavy cream; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; ⅓ cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup honey

Apples and a warm apple spice mix give this Sticky Toffee Pudding made with honey a new twist. Topped with a buttery honey toffee sauce, this moist apple pudding cake delivers fresh Fall flavor. It's perfect to serve for all your Autumn gatherings, like Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year)!

Slice of sticky toffee apple pudding on a plate with the rest of the cake on a cake stand with jug of honey toffee sauce and apples behind.

Jump to:

Why this recipe works
Recipe Ingredients
Apples and honey as symbols
How to make Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Make individual Apple Sticky Toffee Puddings
Questions asked and answered
More recipes featuring fruit to try
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe works

Rich, sweet flavor from spiced apples and softened dates
The buttery honey toffee sauce adds another layer of sweetness
Both the apple pudding cake and the toffee sauce can be made ahead, easing the preparations for holiday celebrations!

British Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of those desserts that Americans may think of when we think about pubs, pints, Dickens, and Harry Potter. Maybe it's because it's called a pudding rather than cake? In any case, this sweet Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake is ripe for adaptations.

As we slip into the Fall baking season (and before pumpkin spice everything takes over), desserts featuring apples (like an apple pie, apple crisp, or a cinnamon apple bundt cake) are especially popular when apples are at their peak. Apples and spice go hand in hand in Autumn baking recipes.

Fall also brings festivals like Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Apples and honey are symbolic foods used to wish each other a sweet New Year.

So what if we adapted Sticky Toffee Date Pudding to feature apples and honey? The resultant apple pudding recipe will be sticky, sweet, and scrumptious!

Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding has the deep flavor of a molasses cake or gingerbread, but sweeter. The apples add a hint of warm Autumn spices, and the dates melt into the cake, adding richness without being cloying. Truly, you won't know they're there.

The honey toffee sauce brings its own unique buttery flavor. It's also yummy poured over vanilla ice cream or eaten straight with a spoon (although I will not confirm nor deny having done that).

Because you can make the apple pudding cake and the honey toffee sauce ahead of time, you can ease your day-of-celebration preparations, whether that be for Rosh Hashanah dinner, a Thanksgiving brunch, Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding, or whenever you want an extra-special dessert!

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this apple cake recipe:

Ingredients for sticky toffee apple pudding portioned into glass bowls.

Ingredient Notes

Apples: What type of apples to use? Your favorite baking apples, of course! You want to use apples (either solo or in combinations) that will be sweet and tart but won't turn to mush when baking. See the FAQs below for some suggestions.

Apple spice mix: Making your own apple spice mix blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom gives this pie complex spice notes. If you prefer, you can use 1½ teaspoons of store bought apple pie spice instead.

Honey: Use your favorite type of honey - its subtle floral notes are there to add sweetness to the apple cake (it's instead of using golden syrup like in a traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe).

Dates: Softened dates are a key feature of a classic Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe. They melt into the cake, adding an intense sugary sweetness.

Molasses:Another key feature of Sticky Toffee Pudding cake recipes, molasses (which is similar to black treacle in the UK) adds its rich, sweet but slightly burnt flavor to the cake. Be certain not to use blackstrap molasses, which is too strong and bitter to use for this sponge cake.

Brown sugar: Using dark brown sugar enhances the molasses flavor along with adding sweetness.

See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Apples and honey as symbols

Apples and honey feature prominently in celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Traditionally, apples are dipped in honey to represent the wish to have a sweet year.

Desserts that feature apples or honey figure prominently as well. Honey Cake is another traditional dessert served after the celebratory meal, and Honey Cookies make a delightful snack. Other delicious examples are Apple Galette in Phyllo Dough and Apple Honey Babka - with all that sweetness, it's bound to be a sweet year!

How to make Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding

Step 1: Prepare the apples and dates

To prepare the apples, an apple peeler/corer/slicer allows you to slice them in a single step before cutting then into cubes. Otherwise, a serrated peeler will make quick work of peeling the apples, and a melon baller is a good way to scoop out the core. Using a mandolin slicer speeds up the slicing and insures uniform pieces. Just be careful with the sharp blade, and make sure you use the food guard!

Melt the butter in a skillet over Medium heat. Add in the brown sugar and apple spice mix and stir until the brown sugar is melted and the mixture is smooth (photo 1).

Cooking brown sugar and apple pie spice in melted butter in a saucepan. — Starting the apple spice syrup

Add the apples and cook until softened, but not mushy, about 6 to 8 minutes (photo 2). Transfer the apples with the sauce to a medium bowl and set aside.

Collage of before and after cooking apples in the brown sugar mixture. — Before and after the apples get sauced

Put the dates into a large saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes (photo 3).

Collage of before and after boiling the dates. — Boiling the dates for the apple pudding cake

Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda (photo 4). The mixture will foam up, so be prepared. Set the pan aside.

Collage of adding baking soda to the boiled dates. — Adding baking soda neutralizes the astringency in the dates

Step 2: Make the apple pudding cake batter

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, honey, brown sugar, and molasses with a hand mixer until light and creamy (photo 5).

Butter, brown sugar, honey, and molasses in a glass bowl from overhead. — Combining the butter, honey, brown sugar, and molasses for the apple cake batter

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and dates with their liquid (photo 6). The mixture will look broken, but that's ok.

Collage of adding eggs, vanilla, and softened dated to the cake batter. — Adding the eggs, soaked dates, and vanilla

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl (photo 7).

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a glass bowl from overhead. — Mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt

If necessary, use a slotted spoon to remove the apples from their sauce (reserve the sauce) and toss the apples into the flour mixture. Fold in the apples until they are coated with flour. This will help keep the apples from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Fold the flour mixture (and any reserved sauce) into the batter, then stir until just combined, making sure there are no hidden spots of raw flour sticking to a stray apple chunk (photo 8).

Collage of adding apples to the flour mixture, then adding to the cake batter. — Tossing the apples in the flour, and the flour mixture with the batter

Step 3: Bake the apple pudding cake

Transfer the batter to a 9-inch round cake pan that's been sprayed with baking spray and lined with a parchment paper round. Bake at 375˚F on the middle rack for 30 to 33 minutes or until a cake tester poked in the center comes out clean (photo 9).

Remove the cake pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes. Transfer the cake from the pan to a platter and cool about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Collage of before and after baking the apple pudding cake. — Apple pudding cake before and after baking

Step 4: Make the honey toffee sauce

While the cake is cooling, combine the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, and honey in a medium saucepan. Cook over Low heat until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth (photo 10). Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

Collage of combining heavy cream, brown sugar, butter, and honey to make honey toffee sauce. — Cooking the honey toffee sauce

Step 5: Glaze the cake

Pour about ½ cup of the honey toffee sauce onto the warm cake and brush over the top and the sides with a pastry brush (photo 11).

Collage of pouring honey toffee sauce on the cake then brushing it all over. — Brushing the honey toffee sauce onto the warm cake

Allow the sauce to soak into the cake before serving (photo 12).

When ready to serve, cut the cake and serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce and a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Whole glazed sticky toffee apple pudding on a cake plate. — The glazed apple pudding waiting for it's meeting with more honey toffee sauce

Storage and make-ahead instructions

You can make the cake 2 days ahead of when you're planning to serve it. Let it cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap, place in a plastic ziplock bag, and store in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Thaw the cake on the counter and reheat at 325˚F just until warm before serving.

The toffee sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 weeks. Reheat it gently in the microwave at 30-second intervals or in a small saucepan over Medium-Low heat.

Make individual Apple Sticky Toffee Puddings

Rather than making one large Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding, you can make individual portions instead. Just spray 6-ounce or 8-ounce ramekins with baking spray. Spoon the prepared apple cake batter into the ramekins and place them onto a half sheet baking pan.

Bake the cakes at 350˚F on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the baking pan from the oven and place the ramekins onto a wire rack to cool about 15 minutes. Unmold them onto the wire rack and cool about 5 to 10 minutes more before pouring on the honey toffee sauce.

Pouring honey toffee sauce onto a slice of sticky toffee apple pudding on a plate with the rest of the cake on a cake stand and apples behind.

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

What are the best apples to use?

You want to use apples (either solo or in combinations) that will be sweet and tart but won't turn to mush when baking. Any combination of baking apples will work, like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and/or Jazz. Need more inspiration? Check out The very best pie apples from King Arthur Baking.

Do pitted dates need to be refrigerated?

If you have pitted dates left over from this recipe, it's best to store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will stay soft and fresh up to a year. At room temperature, pitted dates will stay fresh in an airtight container for 1 to 3 months.

Why soak dates in baking soda?

Not only does boiling the dates help to rehydrate and soften them, adding baking soda helps to neutralize the acidic components in the dates, giving you less astringency in the cake.