Brown Butter Sticky Toffee Pudding
A classic sticky toffee pudding with brown butter in the date sponge & toffee sauce, for extra flavour! Serve this with ice cream & you’re in for a real treat.
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Sticky toffee pudding is one of my all time favourite desserts & I’ve made it even better by making both the date sponge & toffee sauce with brown butter! And, the sponge is baked in a deep traybake tin, so that each portion gets a generous piece. This is a seriously comforting dessert that’s super easy to make & goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of homemade custard. It’s the perfect dessert for when the weather’s cold!
If you’ve never a sticky toffee pudding before, it’s a classic British dessert & it’s absolutely delicious! There’s a moist, date sponge cake that’s made with brown sugar & black treacle which gives it a rich, molasses flavour which is served with a generous amount of warm toffee sauce. Plus something creamy like a scoop of ice cream or a good amount of custard, to cut through all of that richness & sweetness. If you’d like to make your own ice cream to serve with this pudding, check out our vanilla ice cream recipe! I’ve also published my brown butter toffee sauce as a standalone recipe because it really does deserve it’s own post (it’s so good!).
For more pudding inspiration, check out our ever growing collection of dessert recipes! There’s a wide range of desserts here, from classic crumbles, pies, homemade ice creams & lots more…
What You’ll Need
- Dates – You’ll need pitted dates for this sticky toffee pudding. I used Deglet Nour dates but Medjool dates will also work. Sometimes supermarkets dates are just labelled as “pitted dates”, these are fine to use as well! We’ll be making the dates into a puree by soaking them in boiling water from the kettle then blending.
- Butter – You’ll need a block of unsalted butter for the date sponge & another for the brown butter toffee sauce. Using unsalted butter allows us to control the salt content in the recipe & is also easier to brown.
- Sugars – You’ll need a few different sugars for this pudding. Dark brown sugar & black treacle for the sponge and golden syrup & brown sugar for the toffee sauce. I wouldn’t recommend changing any of the sugars used, as they have the rich, molasses flavour that’s needed for sticky toffee pudding. However, if you can’t get hold of any black treacle, use regular molasses instead.
- Eggs – We’re using large eggs for the cake batter. Each egg should weigh around 50 grams out of the shell.
- Flour – We’re using plain flour in the cake batter then adding in our own raising agents, instead of using self raising flour. I find that this allows us to be more accurate with how much baking powder we add in.
- Spices – I like to add some ground cinnamon & ginger to my sticky toffee pudding, as these warming spices work really well in this comforting dessert! Adding spices to sticky toffee pudding isn’t entirely traditional so feel free to leave them out if you’d prefer.
- Raising Agents – You’ll need both baking powder & bicarbonate of soda for this pudding. The baking powder goes in the cake batter & the bicarb is used to make the date puree. Adding bicarbonate of soda to soaking dates, helps break the dates down, making a smooth puree!
- Sour Cream – Adding sour cream to cake batter gives the sponge extra moisture, without affecting the consistency of the batter. Make sure to use room temperature sour cream as this will mix into the batter more evenly.
- Double Cream – Also called heavy cream! You’ll need double cream to make a rich toffee sauce!
- Vanilla – I like to add a spoonful of vanilla paste to the toffee sauce, for extra flavour. However, I find that vanilla gets lost in the spiced date sponge, so I don’t tend to add it in.
- Salt – Adding in salt, improves the flavour of the date sponge & the toffee sauce!
Brown Butter Date Sponge
Before making the date sponge, we need to make a date puree by soaking pitted dates with boiling water & bicarbonate of soda, for 30 minutes. Once soaked, we blend it all up with a stick blender, into a smooth puree then it can be used to make the cake batter. I also like to make the brown butter whilst the dates are soaking, so that it will be cool enough to use once the dates are ready.
Making The Cake Batter
Most sticky toffee pudding sponges are made by creaming butter & sugar together, like a classic sponge cake. But as our date sponge is made with brown butter, we’re going to be adding the butter in melted & the actual batter is made as a one bowl style cake batter. This means that we add all of the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl, whisk together then sift in the dry ingredients then whisk to combine. This is a really quick & easy way to make a cake batter & yields a soft, fluffy sponge. In fact, I don’t think you’d be able to tell the difference between the texture of this date sponge & one that’s made the classic way!
Baking & Cooling
As soon as the cake batter has been mixed, the bicarb will start to react which means that we need to get it into the oven as soon as possible, for the best possible rise. So once the dry ingredients have been mixed into the batter, we need to transfer it into a lined 9″x13″ baking tin then bake at 170°c/338°f for 55 minutes – 1 hour, until risen & a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. As this is such a deep sponge, a slightly longer bake at a lower oven temperature prevents the top from cracking drasctically!
Once cooked, we let the date sponge cool in the tin then it can served or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. This is a fantastic dessert to make ahead of time then reheat later on. And the flavour of the sponge will actually improve over time!
Brown Butter Toffee Sauce
This rich toffee sauce is made with a generous amount of brown butter, which gives it a nutty, more caramelised flavour! Brown butter toffee sauce is an upgraded version of a regular sticky toffee pudding sauce & it’s just as easy to make. If not easier!
So this is an all in one style toffee sauce, which means that everything is added into the same pan then cooked on the stove, into a rich, glossy toffee sauce. However, as we’re using brown butter, we need to cook this first then add in the double cream, golden syrup & brown sugar then return to the stove & cook as we normally would. To finish, we’re going to be stirring in a spoonful of vanilla paste & a good pinch of sea salt.
How To Reheat Sticky Toffee Pudding
A sticky toffee pudding is one of those desserts that’s great for making ahead of time & the flavour actually improves when it sits in the fridge, as it gives the flavours chance to develop! There’s also a few different ways to reheat this dessert, whether it’s warming a single portion up in a microwave or several portions in the oven. These 2 methods is how I’d recommend reheating all of my cake & sauce puddings. Whether it’s a sticky toffee pudding or chocolate cake with chocolate sauce…
Reheating In The Microwave (Best For Individual Portions)
Using a microwave is perfect for when you only want to reheat a couple of portions of sticky toffee pudding! To do this, place a portion of sponge into a bowl, add a spoonful of toffee sauce on top then microwave on high for 30 seconds – 1 minute until piping hot. If you’re reheating more than 1 portion, microwave the portions of sponge & sauce separately or microwave individual portions, one at a time.
Reheating In The Oven (Best For Several Portions)
Using an oven is best for reheating several portions of sticky toffee pudding at once. To reheat sticky toffee pudding in an oven, place pieces of the sponge into a heatproof dish, add a spoonful of toffee sauce on top of each portion then cover the dish with foil & bake at 160°c/320°f until piping hot. Warm extra sauce up on the stove whilst the pudding bakes then pour extra on top, to serve!
What To Serve With Sticky Toffee Pudding
A classic sticky toffee pudding goes incredibly well with something creamy, like a scoop of vanilla ice cream, clotted cream or a generous amount of vanilla custard. The creaminess of these cuts through the sweetness & richness from the date sponge & toffee sauce!
Tips & Tricks
- Use brown butter for the date sponge & toffee sauce, for an extra nutty, caramelised flavour.
- Get the sponge into the oven straight away. The bicarbonate of soda will start to react as soon as the batter is mixed, so it needs to be cooked as soon as possible for the best rise.
- Bake the sponge cake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (there may be a few moist crumbs) but avoid opening the oven door for at least 30 minutes, as this can make the cake sink.
- Let the cake cool before cutting into portions, as it will be easier to cut once cold/at room temperature.
- Bake the date sponge in a deep traybake tin! This way, each portions gets a tall, impressive piece of cake.
- Serve your sticky toffee pudding with something creamy (like ice cream), to cut through the sweetness from the cake & caramel sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook sticky toffee pudding in an Aga, bake the date sponge on a grid shelf placed on the floor of the baking oven. Brown the butter for the sponge & toffee sauce on the boiling plate. Start the toffee sauce on the simmering plate then move over to the boiling plate to boil.. Use the bottom set of runners in the baking oven to reheat the pudding.
Sticky toffee pudding needs to be kept in the fridge & is best eaten within 3 days. This applies to both the toffee sauce & the date sponge.
Yes, you can make sticky toffee pudding with regular butter instead of brown butter. However, for this recipe, I’d stick with the brown butter as it has been developed to use it. Regular butter contains more water then browned, so would make the batter too wet!
Sticky toffee pudding sponge can crack on top if it’s baked in an oven that’s too hot or if there’s too much raising agent in the batter. To prevent cracking, make sure to preheat your oven to the correct temperature (use an oven thermometer for this!) & make sure to measure out the raising agents accurately.
Equipment Used
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More Dessert Recipes To Try!
- Pumpkin Spice Sticky Toffee Pudding With Rum Caramel
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake With Dark Chocolate Sauce
- Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding With Miso Caramel
- Rhubarb & Custard Pavlovas With Crystallised Pistachios
- Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Amaretto Tiramisu
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Brown Butter Sticky Toffee Pudding
Equipment
- 9"x13" Baking Tin
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Saucepan
- Sieve
- Stick Blender
Ingredients
Date Puree
- 300 g Pitted Dates
- 1½ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 250 g Boiling Water
Brown Butter Date Spone
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 200 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 100 g Black Treacle
- 275 g Sour Cream (At Room Temperature)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 375 g Plain Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Table Salt
Brown Butter Toffee Sauce
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 600 g Double Cream
- 225 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 150 g Golden Syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
- First, brown the butter for the dates sponge. To do this, chop the butter into evenly sized pieces then place into a medium saucepan. Place over a medium heat & allow to melt, stirring regularly with a spatula. Keep cooking, until the butter starts to foam, smells nutty & you can see that the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown. Once cooked, transfer the butter to a bowl & leave to cool slightly.
Date Puree
- Whilst the brown butter is cooling, make the date puree. To do this, roughly chop the dates then add into a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda & boiling water (from the kettle!). Stir to combine then leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Once soaked, use a stick blender to blend the dates & water into a smooth puree. You'll need the date puree for the sponge.
Brown Butter Date Sponge
- Whilst the dates are soaking, preheat an oven to 170°c/150°c fan (338°f/302°f). You'll also need to grease & line a 9"x13" baking tin with baking parchment.
- Next, place the brown butter & date puree into a large mixing bowl then add in the brown sugar & treacle then whisk by hand, to combine.
- Add the sour cream & eggs into the dates then whisk again, to incorporate.
- Sift the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon & ginger into the batter then add in the salt. Whisk gently, until the flour is just incorporated.Give the sides of the bowl a quick scrape down with a spatula, to make sure all of the flour has been incorporated!
- Once mixed, immediately pour the batter into the lined tin then bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes – 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.The bicarb will start to react as soon as the batter is mixed, so make sure to get it in the oven as quickly as possible!
- Once cooked, let the sponge cool completely in the tin before cutting into portions. Or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Brown Butter Toffee Sauce
- Chop up the butter, add into a large saucepan then cook over a medium heat, until browned.Cook the butter the same way as you did for the sponge.
- Once the butter is cooked, take the pan off the heat & add in the cream, sugar, & golden syrup. Set the pan over a low heat then cook, whisking regularly until the sugar has dissolved. This will only take a couple of minutes.Whisking the sauce helps incorporate the brown butter properly.
- Next, turn the heat up to medium-high, bring the sauce to the boil, cook for another 2 minutes then take off the heat.
- To finish, stir the vanilla & salt into the sauce.The toffee sauce can be served immediately or left to cool then stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Reheat – In A Microwave
- Place a portion of sponge into a bowl, top with a generous amount of the toffee sauce then microwave on high for 30 seconds – 1 minute, until hot. Serve with a scoop of ice cream!
To Reheat – In An Oven
- Preheat an oven to 160°c/140°c fan (320°f/284°f).
- Place portions of sponge into a heatproof dish then add a spoonful of toffee sauce on top of each.
- Cover the dish with foil & bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until piping hot.
- Whilst the sponge is being reheated, warm some extra toffee sauce up (either in a pan on the stove, or in a jug in a microwave).
- To serve, place the portions of sponge onto plates then pour over some extra sauce. Serve with scoops of ice cream.
Can I substitute egg with something else?
Hi! I’ve not tried any egg substitutions so I wouldn’t recommend it unfortunately
would you think substituting heavy cream for double cream will impact the sauce all that much? appears to be about a 10% difference in milkfat, and not sure it’s worth the effort to make my own double cream.
Hi. Yes, heavy cream will be absolutely fine to use!
can the sponge be frozen
Hi, yes the sponge can be frozen!
I swapped heavy cream for double cream since I couldn’t find it — I also made a makeshift golden syrup mixing light corn syrup and some of the black treacle since I also couldn’t find that.
It came out beautifully, absolutely decadent. Thanks for sharing this recipe, definitely going to keep it on hand!
Awesome, glad you liked it!
Would this recipe work to make it dairy free? using plant block butter, plant cream and oatly creme fraiche or soya yoghurt as substitutes?
Hi, I’ve not tried making it dairy free but if you look on the comments on my pumpkin spice sticky toffee pudding post, someone did make that recipe dairy free & left instructions on how they did that! That one’s pretty similar to this recipe so I’m sure it would work the same.