India Sticky Toffee Pudding
This is one of the best eggless cakes I have ever made. It was moist, rose beautifully and tasted delicious! The key ingredient in sticky toffee pudding is dates. Two cups of these dried fruits give the cake a rich, sweet flavor. The original recipe calls for two eggs which I replaced with ground flax, my new favorite egg replacer.
This is one of the best eggless cakes I have ever made. It was moist, rose beautifully and tasted delicious! The key ingredient in sticky toffee pudding is dates. Two cups of these dried fruits give the cake a rich, sweet flavor. The original recipe calls for two eggs which I replaced with ground flax, my new favorite egg replacer.
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups pitted dates chopped
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 6 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- toffee sauce:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Carbohydrate 90.8447338038394 g
- Cholesterol 28.035000004343 mg
- Fat 10.2861345847616 g
- Fiber 3.03568744054653 g
- Protein 2.98029041937462 g
- Saturated Fat 6.36741158410364 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (176g)
- Sodium 8069.71077997047 mg
- Sugar 87.8090463632929 g
- Trans Fat 0.79829541681221 g
- Calories 452 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, add the chopped dates, boiling water and baking soda. Let sit for 30 minutes or until room temperature. (Optional: once cool, you could squeeze the dates to make a chunky paste.)
- Pre-heat oven to 350(F) degrees.
- Mix ground flax with 6 tbsp water and microwave for one minute.
- Add brown sugar, butter, flax mixture and vanilla to the date mixture and beat until well blended (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer). Add in flour and mix quickly to incorporate.
- Prepare a square 8-inch baking pan with butter and sprinkled flour and evenly spread the batter.
- Bake for 40 to 45-minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, heat together the brown sugar and whipping cream on medium heat on the stove. Once the mixture starts boiling, take off the stove. Add in vanilla and salt.
- When the cake is ready, poke holes all over the top and pour half of the toffee sauce on top.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, cut in to squares and serve warm with more toffee sauce.
A printed ingredient list cannot explain why dates require a chemical soak in boiling water and baking soda. British puddings rely on dried fruit for both structure and moisture, but the alkaline reaction with sodium bicarbonate breaks down tough fruit cell walls during a 30-minute rest. This softening creates dense pockets of natural sugars without requiring added purées.
Sticky toffee pudding emerged in twentieth-century British public houses, evolving from traditional steamed cakes into baked sponge cakes drenched in rich sauce. Modern kitchens occasionally modify these classic formulas by substituting eggs with a mixture of ground flax and water heated for one minute. This plant-based binder successfully traps steam bubbles generated by baking soda, ensuring the crumb rises properly inside a 350-degree oven.
Successful sauce creation requires careful temperature control on the stovetop. Brown sugar and whipping cream must reach a boil before vanilla and salt are stirred into the pan. Poking holes across the warm cake surface allows half of the warm toffee liquid to penetrate deeply into the crumb before slicing.
