This Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake transforms the classic British dessert into a delicious layer cake! Date infused cake layers, vanilla buttercream, and a decadent toffee sauce.
I am an excellent planner when it comes to almost everything in life… except for (apparently) baking. With baking, I am the worst.
The WORST.
I don’t understand it. I have a background in project management, and when planning trips or anything else in life I am SO on top of it.
When it comes to baking… I just don’t know what happens. It’s like I can’t commit to an idea or something. I’m constantly changing my mind and forgetting things, and it just makes for a huge waste of time. I can’t make a decision to save my life.
Case in point: this Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.
It all started with my lack of a plan on how to attack this cake. I had a recipe in mind (modified from Rock Recipes) but I didn’t know how I wanted to incorporate the toffee sauce or how to decorate it.
Oh well, I knew I could get the cake layers baked up and out of the way, and worry about the rest at a later date (hah!).
I had the foresight to buy the Medjool dates, as I knew I’d be making this cake, but I didn’t think to check my stock of other stuff.
So there I am, getting out all my trusty ingredients, only to realize that my molasses had expired. *&%$. Off to the store I go (it’s a 20min round trip at best, usually longer).
So I go get what I need, get home, and start prepping everything. Somewhere in those few minutes, I realize that I want to drizzle the toffee sauce over the cake layers while they’re still hot out of the oven. Do you think I’d have had the foresight to buy heavy cream for the toffee sauce while I was at the grocery store? NooOOOoooo. Why would I do that? That would be smart and efficient and organized. Clearly, I am none of those things.
So, off I go to the store. Again.
Finally back home, I start whipping up the cake batter. It all goes smoothly except I have way too much batter for my 2″ tall pans.
UGH.
Thankfully I realized this and did not overfill my pans. They didn’t spill over, but I did have some excess. I’ve since modified the recipe, as I had to remake the entire cake anyhow (read on).
Once the cakes were out of the oven and out of their pans, I poked them all over with a bamboo skewer and slathered the hot toffee sauce onto them. I cooled them completely, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and stuck them in the freezer, since I wouldn’t be finishing the cake until the following week.
I actually freeze almost all of my cake layers before using them. I try to spread out my baking as much as possible and do stuff in batches, so I’ll often have a variety of frozen cake layers ready to go in the freezer.
Freezing the cakes works perfectly, whereas putting them in the refrigerator dries them out. Just be sure to double wrap them in plastic wrap before freezing.
So, fast forward to the following week — aka, decorating and photos. I could not, for the life of me, decide how I wanted to decorate this cake. I need to be better about planning this stuff up front, because winging it on the day really isn’t working for me.
No joke that I spent 4 hours decorating and re-decorating this cake. It’s ridiculous.
I did 4 versions one day, hated them all, and just stuck the cake into the fridge in order to try version 5 the next day.
Here are some crappy pics of the crappy 4 initial versions.
Versions 1-4
Before attempting version 5, I made more toffee sauce, since I had run out from all of the previous failed decorating attempts.
So, the next day comes along and it’s another disaster. Maybe this cake was not meant to be.
Something was off in my toffee sauce — it was WAY too thin, and no amount of fridge/freezer time was thickening it. I was so over this cake by this point, so I just went with it and took pics, hating the cake through and through the entire time.
Here’s a shot of version 5, which was just as disappointing as the initial 4.
Version 5
Unfortunately (for me) the pics just did not turn out.
Maybe it was self-sabotage because I hated the cake anyhow, I don’t know. All the pics were dull and blurry. I thought I could edit them to be ok, but it wasn’t working.
After a good week of mulling it over, I decided to redo the cake entirely. I tweaked the recipe a bit too since the first one made a bit too much batter. The layers baked up much prettier in the second version.
Version 6
I think my biggest struggle with this whole Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, and what ultimately caused all the issues, was deciding on the approach to take with the frosting.
Frosting isn’t traditional in sticky toffee pudding. It’s cake and toffee syrup, sometimes with ice cream or whipped cream on the side. So I didn’t want this cake to be frosting heavy, but I also didn’t want it to look too much like my Caramel Apple Cake.
It needed the toffee drizzle though since that’s a main component of sticky toffee pudding! Ugh. Finally, I settled on a semi-naked cake with toffee drizzle. It is what it is, and really all that matters, in the end, is how it tastes, right?
So, version 6 (the final version) of this cake was better and good enough. I don’t love that it looks so much like my Caramel Apple Cake and that it’s another drip cake, but I think this style just worked best for a Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.
Well, I’ve rambled (ranted) on for an eternity, and we haven’t even talked about what Sticky Toffee Pudding is! If you’ve never tried it before, then trust me that you need it in your life, because it is SO delicious!
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British dessert consisting of a cake made with dates and drizzled with toffee sauce.
When I first saw it on the menu at a restaurant I thought it was going to be a bread pudding-type dish. It’s NOT. I am not a bread pudding fan. Soggy bread is one of the grossest things to me. I just can’t deal with the texture. As such, I avoided sticky toffee pudding for a good chunk of my life and totally missed out!!
I think this Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake does the original justice. My taste testers have loved it, and I’ve had at least one British friend say it was amazing. That’s all the validation I need, and it certainly makes the struggles with this cake worthwhile.
If you are a Sticky Toffee Pudding fan, I hope you will love this cake as much as I do!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- For other conversions go here.
Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- The toffee sauce can be made the day before and left at room temperature overnight or refrigerated for up to a week. You’ll need to bring it to room temperature again before use.
- The finished cake (whole or sliced, stored airtight) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?
- There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option on my recipes.
Do I drain the Dates mixture before mashing?
- No. Mash the dates up with the liquid.
Tips for this Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
- I used a generous amount of toffee sauce on the layers, so the cake is extra moist. You can use as much or as little as you want.
- The baking soda helps to soften the dates so they are easier to mash. Don’t drain the dates before mashing.
- If you make your toffee sauce in advance and refrigerate it (I did), you’ll need to warm it up again the next day as it might separate a bit. Be sure to let it cool and thicken before drizzling on the top of the cake.
- I prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release and line with parchment paper.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cakes post!
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Dates:
- 10 oz pitted medjool dates chopped (about 18 whole dates)
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed, I used demerara
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 Tbsp fancy molasses not blackstrap
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee Sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed, I used demerara
- 1 Tbsp fancy molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Dates:
- Place dates and water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over med heat and simmer for a couple minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda. Let sit while making the cake batter. Mash before using in cake. Do not drain water.
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease & flour three 6″ cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high (approx. 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add molasses and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Add flour mixture in 3 batches then add in the hot mashed dates. Beat until combined.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until the cakes spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (approx. 40-45 mins). Make Toffee Sauce while cakes are baking.
- Cool in pans on wire rack for 10mins, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Toffee Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking occasionally. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- Add vanilla and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
- Trim the tops so that they are flat and so that the top crust of the cake is removed.
- Poke holes into the cakes using a bamboo skewer (or something similar in size). Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of the warm toffee sauce onto each of the cake layers. Spread evenly. Cool completely.
- Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Top with 2/3 cup buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Do a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Using a large icing scraper, scrape and smooth the frosting on the sides of the cake so that some of the cake starts to show through. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Chill cake for 30mins.
- Warm up the toffee sauce if necessary until it is pourable but not too thin and not warm.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of toffee sauce around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more toffee sauce and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Keira Kingdom says
Super excited to make this recipe! I was wondering if the dates needed to be hot when they went into the mixture (worried about cooking the egg) or if they can go in room temperature. Also, how much liquid should they have. Should it be almost like a compote or should it be more watery? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Keira! I added them hot without issue. They had cooled a bit while I was making the rest of the batter. More of a compote rather than watery.
Chloe says
I’m so excited to try this recipe!! I’m having a tea party for my sister and wanted to make these in little loaf pans. The pan has 12 separate 2 inches by 3-inch loaf spaces. What temperature do you think I would need to have my oven at? I’m not sure what baking time I need either but I’m willing to experiment.
Olivia says
Hi Chloe! The temperature should stay the same. I’m not sure about baking time but here are my tips for testing if a cake is done:
1. Peek through the oven window. To see if the cakes are a nice golden brown (doesn’t really work for chocolate cakes).
2. Nudge the oven. Gently nudge your oven (assuming it’s free-standing and not built-in). If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, leave the oven door closed and bake for a few minutes longer.
3. Nudge the pans. Open the oven and gently nudge the pans. If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, close the oven door and bake for a few minutes longer.
4. Poke the cake. Gently poke the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake is firm and springs back, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. When there are a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready. You want crumbs on there because the cake keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven.
Chloe says
Thank you! Does any molasses work? or does it have to be Fancy? I want to make this tomorrow and don’t have time to order the fancy kind.
Olivia says
Hi Chloe! Fancy is best as it’s sweeter and less mild. What kind do you have? If it’s blackstrap I would use half molasses and half golden/corn syrup to tone it down. Blackstrap can be very strong, bitter, and overpowering.
Chloe says
Thanks so much! It says Grandma’s Molasses unsulphured original. Its in a yellow jar!
Olivia says
I think that one should be fine! As long as it’s not blackstrap 🙂
Lauren says
Hello
So I am making this for a wedding cake for a friends wedding. They love sticky date pudding and loved the cake when I made it for a trial. Just wondering im in Australia and travelling 2.5 to 3 hours with the cake will the Swiss meringue buttercream hold or should I use a standard buttercream or even ganache instead? What do you think?
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! SMBC does not hold up to heat well. If you’re able to freeze the cake before and transport it in a cooler then it should be ok. Otherwise I would do a frosting that works better in heat.
Sparky deVille says
Very excited to try this recipe, but I’m curious to try it on a single 9″ x 3″ pan, to try to make like a proper pudding, not so much a cake. Any ideas how long to cook that for?
Olivia says
Hi Sparky! The recipe should work fine in a 9×13 pan. Baking time is hard to say as every oven bakes differently. You’ll want to check on the cake as it’s baking. Here are the steps I go through to test if a cake is done:
1. Peek through the oven window. To see if the cakes are a nice golden brown (doesn’t really work for chocolate cakes).
2. Nudge the oven. Gently nudge your oven (assuming it’s free-standing and not built-in). If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, leave the oven door closed and bake for a few minutes longer.
3. Nudge the pans. Open the oven and gently nudge the pans. If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, close the oven door and bake for a few minutes longer.
4. Poke the cake. Gently poke the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake is firm and springs back, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. When there are a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready. You want crumbs on there because the cake keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven.
Lexi Klionsky says
do we drain the liquid once weve mashed the dates? Or pour that into the cake batter as well?
Olivia says
Hi Lexi! No, mash the dates with the liquid.
Sandi Wright says
I have to say that I laughed so hard reading this. Sounds like me and I have so much in my kitchen but there is always one thing that will be missing. This looks perfect and I love Sticky Toffee Pudding. I am going to make it for the dessert table for our Christmas celebrations. It will be the star. Thanks for all the effort you put in so people like me can just make it and know (like all your recipes) that they will be perfect. I just made your London Fog Cake and it was drooled over by the consumers of it. Happy Holidays.
Olivia says
Hi Sandi! So glad you got a kick out of it and you can relate 🙂 I hope you love this cake as much as I do. And thank you for the wonderful feedback! Happy Holidays to you as well!
Kathy says
Very excited to try this recipe. I’ve made sticky toffee pudding for my family and this seems like a great alternative.. My smallest cake pans are 8″. Do you recommend making 2 layers? How long would you bake them?
Olivia says
Hi Kathy! Yes, this recipe will work great for two 8″ cake layers. Baking time will be similar but be sure to check on the cakes as they are baking.
Kathy says
In a word WOW! The cake is delicious. It was a hit with my family and friends. Will be added to my Christmas menu this year. I followed the recipe as written.
Olivia says
Hi Kathy! So happy you all loved it. It’s one of my favorite Christmas cakes 🙂
Ashly says
This cake is phenomenal! the only negative I really have to say is that the frosting recipe made way too much. I think next time I might go for half and see how that works.
Olivia says
Hi Ashly! So happy you loved it 🙂
Jane says
I just put baking powder in with peanut dates instead of baking powder! Do I need to toss these out and start again?
Olivia says
Hi Jane! If the dates soften and mash-up ok then it might be fine. I’m not sure though if it would affect the cake rising during baking or if the raising agent gets all used up during the cooking of them. Did you try it??
Jane says
They tasted ok, so I used them! I did add a smidge of baking soda too. The cakes look like they are fully raised. First time making SMBC and it looks good! Just getting ready to assemble it now.
Olivia says
Yay! That’s great! This is one of my all time favourite cakes and I hope you love it 😀
Ashley says
Hi, how far in advance can you make this cake? Also, could I use 10′ pans if I tripled the ingredients? I need to make a cake for 30 people this weekend!
Olivia says
Hi Ashley! If it’s just a day in advance you can refrigerate the cake and take it out 2-3 hours before serving. Otherwise, if making further in advance:
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Buttercream: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
For the Toffee: Cool completely and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Finished Cake: The whole frosted cake can be frozen as long as it is stored in something airtight.
Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Based on that 3x the recipe should work. You may have a bit of excess batter, just make cupcakes with it if so. Oh and baking time may differ.
Suzanne says
After all that reading where is the recipe?!?!
Olivia says
Hi Suzanne! So sorry, there was a glitch with the recipe card. It should be fixed now!
Ruchi says
Hi the sticky toffee pudding cake – before serving should I warm it up? Wouldn’t it be too hard otherwise. Traditionally sticky date warmed up before serving
Olivia says
Hi Ruchi! No, the frosting would melt if you warmed it up. It should be served at room temperature and is perfectly soft and delicious!
Morghan says
Dynamite. My batter seemed thin so I added about 1/3-1/2 cup of flour, and I also added a pinch of salt to each component (batter, sauce, icing) to really pop the flavours. Turned out great, and it truly does taste bang-on like sticky toffee pudding!
Olivia says
Hi Morghan! So happy you loved it 🙂
Joanne says
My toffee didn’t turn out thick enough & dripped right off the cake. My drips looked artistic tho! Fortunately I had at least half the sauce left over so I put the cake in the fridge & the piping bag of toffee in the freezer. Just before serving I put more toffee on top. Tasted so good I forgave it. Was supposed to be a stellar looking 25th bday cake for my son. Guess it pays to rehearse your drips! Jo
Olivia says
Hi Joanne! The toffee sauce was a challenge for me to figure out too (did you see my pics?? loool). What matters most is the taste though 🙂 I’m so happy you liked it!
Joanne says
It rose well & quite level with my cake strips on the pans. Didn’t have to trim them too much. I should have waited til they were completely cool tho.
My dates & the batter were very runny. I added an extra 1/2 c. flour & 2tsp of baking soda.
Totally yummy!
Olivia says
Hi Joanne! So happy you loved it. Thanks for the feedback!
Shivani says
Hi, We do not get mollasses or treacle where I live (The Netherlands). Can I skip it completely or subsitute with something else (a more common ingredient ?)
Olivia says
Hi Shivani! You can substitute golden syrup instead but it won’t have the same flavour. It should still be delicious though 🙂
Sarah Sheehy says
Hi, I really would like to add pears to this as I made a sticky toffee pear cake for dessert one Sunday and it was absolutely delicious, so much so that my fiancé wants me to make it for his birthday but I would like to make it more showstopper like your recipe as the one I made was just a one layer cake, how many pears would I add, I’m thinking a minimum 3 as it was 2-3 for the one layer cake I made, and would I have to alter any other ingredients for the layers?
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! Adding pears to the actual cake would require some experimenting as they’ll add extra moisture. I could cook the pears down and use them as a topping/filling instead.
Meredith says
How deep are the tins you have used? I’d like to use 2 x 6″ tins that are 4″ deep (so I can halve each sponge for 4 layers). Shall I alter quantities for this? Your sponges look lovely and thick so I am wondering if you have used 3 deep tins. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Meredith! Mine are 2″ deep and the cakes baked right to the top. I think the recipe should work as-is in your pans but the baking time will be longer. If you want to increase the recipe slightly you can do so by adjusting the Servings. I’ve never baked a 4″ tall cake though and worry the sides would dry out before the center was baked.
Pooja says
Hi, really looking forward to making this cake for my best friend’s 30th! I’ll be making the cake ahead of time and freezing the layers. Do I infuse the layers with the toffee before freezing or when assembling the cake? Thank you!!
Olivia says
Hi Pooja! I would do it once assembling the cake.
Pooja says
Thank you! Can’t wait to see how it turns out 🙂
Laura says
Hi, I’m based in the UK and this is one of my favourite puddings so was really excited to make this cake. It was absolutely delicious and made everyone forget about their January diets! I love all your hints and tips they are so helpful and I can’t wait to try another one of your recipes!
Olivia says
Hi Laura! I am so happy everyone loved it. Thanks for the wonderful feedback!