Spiced Clementine Sticky Toffee Pudding
Spiced clementine sticky toffee pudding is the ultimate festive dessert. The sponge is made with boiled clementines and dates then served with a salted orange toffee sauce.
This spiced clementine sticky toffee pudding is the ultimate Winter dessert. We’re taking inspiration from a boiled clementine and almond sponge, to make a festive version of the classic British pudding! If you’re looking for an easy dessert to make over the holidays that’s guaranteed to go down a treat, this is the recipe for you.
If you’ve never had a clementine cake before, it’s a sponge that’s made with whole clementines that are boiled until soft then blended into a puree. This is often made with ground almonds, which makes this style of cake especially soft, moist and squidgy. Very similar to a sticky toffee pudding that’s made with dates.
Instead of making a 100% date puree for the sponge like you normally would, this STP variation is made with a boiled clementine and date puree. Plus brown butter for an extra nutty, caramelised flavour, ground ginger and cinnamon for a hit of spice and ground almonds to complement the sweet clementines. And you don’t even need a mixer to make it!
Lastly, the toffee sauce. I’ve taken my salted brown butter toffee sauce and added clementine juice, a good pinch of salt, vanilla paste and a splash of orange liqueur. Serve your clementine sponge with this salted orange toffee sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you really are onto a winner.
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. And for more festive recipes, take a look at our Christmas recipe collection.
Ingredients For Clementine Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Clementines – Where a regular sticky toffee pudding is made with date, this one is made with clementines as well. You boil whole clementines until soft then blend into a puree with soaked dates. There’s clementine zest in the sponge as well, plus juice in the toffee sauce.
- Dates – I wanted this sticky toffee pudding to still have that signature date flavour and squidginess, so the sponge uses dates as well as clementines. You’ll need pitted dates for this recipe, which are available in most supermarkets.
- Butter – You’ll need to use unsalted butter for both the sponge and toffee sauce, as we’ll be adding salt in ourselves.
- Sugar – There’s a few different sugars in this recipe. Dark brown sugar is used for both the sponge and sauce, black treacle is added to the cake batter and golden syrup is used in the toffee sauce.
- Ground Almonds – A classic spiced clementine cake is made with almonds, so I’ve replaced some of the flour in this recipe with ground almonds. Plus a teaspoon of almond extract for extra flavour. Don’t worry about the extract though if you haven’t got any.
- Flour – With most of my bakes, I use plain flour then add in raising agents myself. I find that you get a better rise this way.
- Spices – I spiced my clementine sponge with ground cinnamon and ginger. If you like, a small amount of ground cloves, nutmeg or cardamon would be a good addition.
- 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.
- Eggs – You’ll need large eggs for the cake batter. Each should weigh around 50 grams out of the shell.
- Raising Agents – You’ll need both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda for this pudding. Soaking the dates with a small amount of bicarb helps them break down as well.
- Double Cream – Double (or heavy) cream work best for the toffee sauce, as it gives it a richer flavour and thicker consistency.
- Orange Liqueur (Optional) – For an extra hit of orange, you can add a splash of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau to the toffee sauce. This is completely optional though. Amaretto would work great too, as it has an almond flavour.
How To Make Spiced Clementine Sticky Toffee Pudding
This festive clementine sticky toffee pudding is made like a regular one but the sponge batter uses a puree that’s made with both clementines and dates, plus the addition of ground almonds and a few dried spices too.
1. Clementine and Date Puree
The sponge for this pudding takes inspiration from a festive spiced clementine cake, that’s made with whole clementines that are boiled until soft then pureed smooth. I still wanted the rich, butterscotch flavour and moist texture you get from using dates, like in a classic sticky toffee pudding, so this variation uses a mix of both.
To make the clementine and date puree, you need to boil whole clementines in a pan of water for around 40 minutes, until they’re soft. Whilst the clementines are cooking, the dates get roughly chopped then added into a bowl with bicarbonate of soda and boiling water (from the kettle) before being left to soak.
Once cooked, take the clementines out of the water, leave to drain in a sieve for a few minutes then cut in half and remove any seeds. You’ll need 220 grams of cooked clementines for this recipe, so you’ll need to weigh this out. Then it’s just a case of adding the clementines into the dates then blending smooth with a stick blender.
2. Brown Butter
Making brown butter is a super handy technique used to add extra flavour to loads of bakes from cakes, cookies, puddings and more! Browning butter is a really simple process, you chop butter into small pieces, add into a pan then cook over a medium heat until it starts to foam, smells nutty and you can see the milk solids on the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown.
Once cooked, you’ll need to transfer the brown butter to a bowl, to stop it from cooking further then let it cool to room temperature. We do this whilst the clementines are cooking, so they’re ready at the same time.
3. Spiced Clementine Sponge
As this sponge is made with brown butter, there’s no creaming involved. Instead, you add the brown butter into a large mixing bowl, along with the clementine & date puree, brown sugar, treacle and clementine zest then whisk to combine. Then add in sour cream and eggs then whisk again, to incorporate.
Next, sift plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon and ginger into a separate mixing bowl, add in ground almonds and table salt then whisk to combine. This just helps the raising agents distribute more evenly through the batter.
To finish, add the dry ingredients into the batter then whisk gently, to bring the batter together. Give the bowl a scrape down with a spatula to make sure there’s no dry patches then pour into a lined 9″x13″ tin.
4. Baking and Cooling
This clementine sticky toffee pudding takes around an hour to cook at 170°c/338°f and you’ll know when it’s done when 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 drastically!
Once cooked, let the spiced clementine sponge cool in the tin then it can be 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!
Salted Orange Toffee Sauce
Ever since I made my brown butter sticky toffee pudding, adding brown butter to my toffee sauce has been my favourite way to make it! As the sponge is made with clementines, I’ve also added clementine juice to the this batch of toffee sauce, along with a splash of orange liqueur. Though this is optional, if you’d prefer to keep your pudding alcohol free.
This is an all in one style of toffee sauce, which essentially just means that everything’s cooked together. Instead of making a direct caramel first, like with some toffee sauces. Though as this one uses brown butter, you’ll need to cook this first then add in brown sugar, golden syrup, double cream and clementine juice. You cook this mix gently to dissolve the sugar before turning the heat up and boiling for 3 minutes, to thicken.
To finish this salted orange toffee sauce, we stir in a good pinch of sea salt, a teaspoon of vanilla paste and a splash of orange liqueur, if you like.
How To Reheat Sticky Toffee Pudding
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! Especially with a festive sticky toffee pudding that’s lightly spiced and made with ground almonds and boiled clementines.
There’s a few different ways to reheat this style of dessert, whether it’s warming a single portion up in a microwave or several portions in the oven. These 2 methods are how I’d recommend reheating all of my cake and 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 and 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 Clementine Sticky Toffee Pudding
Clementine sticky toffee pudding is incredibly rich, so you’ll want to serve it with something creamy to cut through the sweet toffee sauce and moist clementine sponge. My go-to accompaniment for sticky toffee pudding is a scoop of vanilla ice cream but this dessert is equally as good with a drizzle of pouring cream, a scoop of clotted cream or a generous amount of vanilla custard!
Tips and Tricks
- Brown the butter for the clementine sponge and the toffee sauce, to add a nutty, caramelised flavour.
- Make the puree for the sponge with a mix of boiled clementines and dates, to add flavour to the pudding without adding too much extra liquid to the batter.
- Let the cake cool before cutting into portions, as it will be easier to cut once cold/at room temperature.
- Add clementine juice and a splash of orange liqueur to the toffee sauce, for extra orange flavour.
- Bake the clementine 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, clotted cream or custard, to cut through the richness from the sauce and sponge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bake the clementine sponge on a grid shelf placed on the floor of the baking oven. Start the toffee sauce on the simmering plate then move over to the boiling plate to boil. Use the boiling plate to brown the butter for the date sponge & toffee sauce.
You’ll need to use clementines for this recipe as oranges will take a long time to cook in a pan of water. If you can’t get hold of clementines, other mandarines such as tangerines or satsumas will work too. Though clementines are best.
Clementine sticky toffee pudding is best eaten within 3 days and both the sponge and toffee sauce should be stored in the fridge.
Yes, you can absolutely freeze sticky toffee pudding! The sauce should be frozen in an airtight container. It’s best to cut the sponge into portions then freeze in either an airtight container or a food safe bag. Sticky toffee pudding will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
- Brown Butter Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Black Forest Trifle (Chocolate & Cherry)
- Profiteroles With Chocolate Sauce
- Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta (Restaurant Style)
- White Chocolate Basque Cheesecake
- Apple Cornflake Crunch
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Spiced Clementine Sticky Toffee Pudding
Equipment
- 9"x13" Baking Tin
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Microplane/Grater
- Stick Blender
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
Clementine & Date Puree
- 4 Clementines (Washed – See Notes)
- 180 g Pitted Dates
- ¾ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 125 ml Boiling Water (From The Kettle)
Brown Butter
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
Clementine Sponge
- 250 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 100 g Black Treacle
- Zest Of 3 Clementines (Or 1 Orange)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 250 g Sour Cream (At Room Temperature)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract (Optional)
- 375 g Plain Flour
- 80 g Ground Almonds
- 2½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Table Salt
Salted Orange Toffee Sauce
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 550 g Double Cream
- 250 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 160 g Golden Syrup
- 60 g Clementine Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Grand Marnier (Optional – See Notes)
Instructions
Clementine & Date Puree – Part 1
- Add the clementines into a medium saucepan, cover with water then set over a medium heat.
- Bring the water to a simmer then turn the down and cook the clementines gently until they are tender. This will take around 30-40 minutes and you'll know when they're done when a skewer slides into a clementine with little to no resistance. The skins will be soft once cooked.
- Whilst your clementines are cooking, 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, or until the clementines are cooked.
Brown Butter
- Whilst your clementines are cooking, make the brown butter. To do this, chop the butter into evenly sized pieces then place into a medium saucepan. Set 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.
- Preheat an oven to 170°c/150°c fan (338°f/302°f) now as well. You'll also need to grease & line a 9"x13" baking tin with baking parchment.
Clementine Puree – Part 2
- Once your clementines are cooked, use a slotted spoon to lift them out of the water and into a sieve (or colander) so that they can drain for a few minutes.
- Next, slice each clementine in half, remove any seeds then weigh out 220g of cooked clementine (skins included). Don't worry about chopping the clementines up as they're going to blitzed.Make sure to trim off any green stems off the clementines first, if needed.
- Add the weighed out clementine into the bowl of dates then blend smooth using a stick blender.
Clementine Sponge
- Add the brown butter and clementine date puree into a large mixing bowl along with the brown sugar, treacle and clementine zest then whisk by hand until smooth and combined.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts into the date mix then whisk again, to incorporate.
- Sift the plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon & ginger into a separate then add in the ground almonds and salt. Whisk to combine then add into the batter.
- Whisk the batter gently, to incorporate the flour then give the sides of the bowl a quick scrape down with a spatula, to make sure that 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.
Salted Orange 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 and clementine juice. 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 3 minutes then take off the heat.
- To finish, stir the vanilla, salt and Grand Marnier (if using) 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.
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