Sticky Toffee Pudding
Submitted by sarah hyland
Self-saucing sticky toffee pudding, a date-studded muscovado sponge that creates its own rich toffee sauce underneath as it bakes. Spoon it warm over vanilla ice cream or pouring cream.
YIELD
7 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsSticky toffee pudding is the king of British comfort desserts, and this self-saucing version is pure kitchen magic: you make one batter, pour boiling water over the top, and it bakes into a sponge sitting in its own pool of toffee sauce.
Dark muscovado sugar is what gives it that deep, treacly, almost caramel flavor; don’t reach for regular brown sugar if you can help it. Chopped dates, folded into the batter, melt down as it bakes, adding moisture and that signature toffee-fudge note.
Here’s the part that feels wrong but isn’t: you sprinkle more muscovado and dot butter over the unbaked batter, then pour boiling water right on top. Trust it. As the pudding bakes, the water and sugar sink and transform into a thick, glossy sauce beneath the risen sponge.
It’s done when the top is springy and spongy, with the sauce bubbling underneath.
Pro Tips
- Use dark muscovado sugar for the deepest toffee flavor; lighter sugars give a paler, less rich result.
- Don’t stir the boiling water in, just pour it over the top, as the recipe insists; that’s what creates the self-saucing layer.
- The batter looks scant in the dish, but it rises as it bakes, so resist overfilling.
- Serve warm right away, while the sauce is still molten underneath.
Variations
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or a splash of espresso to deepen the flavor.
- Stir a spoonful of black treacle or golden syrup into the batter.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, or pouring cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5 and butter a 1½ litre capacity pudding dish.
Combine the 100g dark muscovado sugar with the flour in a large bowl.
Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring – just with a wooden spoon – to combine.
Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared pudding dish. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look very full: it will do by the time it cooks.
Sprinkle over the 200g dark muscovado sugar and dot with the butter.
Pour over the boiling water (yes really!) and transfer to the oven.
Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more.
The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it’s cooked; underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, double or single cream as you wish.
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