Easy Traditional British Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes

In my family, we love High Tea with scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd. It's been a birthday tradition between me and my daughters since they were each five years old.

And with British books, shows, and movies like Harry Potter and Outlander added to the mix, and we seem to seek out more traditional British recipes like Trifle, Treacle Tarts, Cranachan, and Butterbeer.

A traditional British Sticky Toffee Pudding made authentically with dates, molasses (aka black treacle in the UK), and golden syrup fits the bill nicely!

What is Sticky Toffee Pudding?

Oh yes, I forgot to explain...to an American, pudding is soft, squishy, extremely yummy creamy custard, with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, etc.

In the UK, British pudding is a broader term referring to any dessert (although you can have savory puddings as well...think Yorkshire pudding).

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Here’s how pudding is defined by British Food: A History, "If you are British and trying to explain the word to a foreigner the answer is surprisingly difficult. In America, it is a simple answer: a dessert. ...  The true puddings are those that are boiled or steamed. Christmas puddings, suet puddings and sponge puddings fit into this category. In fact, anything boiled or steamed in a basin, cloth or handy piece of intestinal tract is a pudding."

The site goes on that English Sticky Toffee Pudding isn’t really a true pudding (it's not boiled or steamed), blah, blah, blah…frankly my head started to hurt and really, does it matter?

What you need

To my American eye, the names of some of the ingredients you'd find in a traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe (black treacle, bicarbonate of soda, stoned dates) seem exotic and precious.

But tell me that those items are just molasses, baking soda, and pitted dates, and the picture becomes clearer. Maybe that’s just me.

The rest of the ingredients are familiar: flour, brown sugar, butter, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, and salt.

One item that might be unfamiliar is golden syrup. It's an invert sugar product along the lines of honey, agave, or brown rice syrup, and has a flavor like melted brown sugar crossed with butter.

You can usually find golden syrup in major supermarkets where the British foods are displayed. If you can't find golden syrup, order it online or check below for substitution suggestions.

How to make Sticky Toffee Pudding

The method for making this recipe differs slightly from that for a normal sponge cake because you need to soften the dates prior to their use.

Step 1: Soften the dates

Boil the roughly chopped pitted dates in some water for a couple of minutes, then add the baking soda (photo 1). This helps to keep them soft as they bake.

Step 2: Make the sponge cake batter

Beat the butter, golden syrup, brown sugar, and molasses with a hand mixer until soft and creamy, then beat in the vanilla and eggs (photo 2).

Step 3: Bake the cakes

Pour into 4-ounce and/or 6-ounce ramekins that have been sprayed with baking spray (the 6-ounce ramekins serve two in our house). Bake the cakes at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean (photo 4).

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.

Step 4: Make the Toffee Sauce

While the sponge cakes are cooling, you can make the Toffee Sauce. Just combine the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup into a saucepan and heat until the brown sugar is melted and the sauce is smooth (photo 5).

Pour the toffee sauce onto the warm cakes and serve.

Pro Tip: Choose your preferred cake presentation style

You can choose whether to make one large cake or individual portions. Having single serving ramekins helps with portion control. I use a combination of 4-ounce ramekins and 6-ounce ramekins, or sometimes a standard muffin pan.

If you prefer one large cake instead of individual portions, use a 9- x 9-inch baking pan that's been sprayed with baking spray and lined with parchment paper. Bake the sponge cake at 375˚F for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

One American's opinion of this British pudding

The final product? Absolutely wonderful!

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

The 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).

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

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

Since you can make and freeze the cakes, this easy traditional British Sticky Toffee Pudding belongs on your dessert table anytime!

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