Sticky Date Pudding is a wonderful warming winter dessert made with dates and drizzled with an easy butterscotch sauce. Don't let the dates scare you, this is an easy recipe to bake and tastes so good everyone will be asking for more.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British dessert classic, we call it Sticky Date Pudding in Australia and New Zealand. If you're reading this from America, the British version of pudding is very different from what you might expect, and is more of a sponge cake with a sauce. It's not a very old dessert, but developed in the 1970's with disputed origins that became a British favorite. Once you taste it, you will understand why. It's heartwarming to eat, rich and comforting, while drizzled in a warm butterscotch sauce.
Don't Be Afraid Of Dates!
Dates grow on Date Palms and are cultivated across the Middle East and North Africa, and have been for thousands of years. It's a staple in the Middle Eastern diet, but not so popular out west! I'm not gonna lie, when I think of dates, I think of their.... high fiber effects, and not their tasty qualities. When I first tried Sticky Date Pudding, I didn't believe there were dates in something so delicious. When buying dates, you want to use the Medjool Dates, as they are plump and large. You might see white stuff on the outside of the dates, that's just crystallised sugar. So don't be scared of eating these healthy, low GI, high fiber, low fat, potassium rich fruits.
Nordic Ware Heritage Bundtlette Cake Pan Recipe
Whenever I think of a Bundt Cake, I think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when she received a Bundt cake, and put a flower inside it. 🤣 Instead of the classic Bundt cake, this baking pan has been updated with 6 individual serves in their classic style. We wrote this recipe specifically to serve with this Nordic Ware Bundt classic. It's a little bit retro, a little bit fancy, and definitely a showstopper when serving! Nordic Ware is a cast aluminum pan, that has a heavy weight, and is perfect for baking. You're going to love these individual serves of Sticky Date Pudding, in a fancy Bundt style.
How To Grease Heritage Bundtlettes
This will be the hardest part of this recipe! There are few rules when greasing bundtlettes. You can't skip preparing the pan, otherwise your sticky date pudding won't come out clean.
- Don't use regular cooking spray. Baking spray with flour is ok. No idea why, just go with it! 😂
- Grease the pan with melted butter or shortening, getting into each nook and cranny. Dust with flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Do not allow the flour to clump in the corners of the shape of the bundtlettes.
- Honestly, I only brush on melted flour. If adding flour, lightly flour, don't use too much flour!
Can I Use Muffin Tins For Sticky Date Pudding?
Yes, of course you can. The Mini Bundtlettes are there for a striking effect, but not everyone has these readily available. The Sticky Date batter makes enough for 4 cups, which helps guide you for muffin pan sizes to fill. If you use Texas Muffin Pans, and only fill them up ⅔ of the way to the top, this should be enough for a tray of 6. You can use any muffin tray you like, or even bake it as a Sticky Date Sheet Cake, but your cooking time will increase. It's even easier with a silicone muffin pan, use what you've got!
How To Make Sticky Date Pudding
You want to make sure that your dates have the pits removed. Roughly cut the Medjool dates into 4 pieces, removing the pits. The recipe calls for 1 cup of dates, which you measure after your cut and de-seed them. It's about 10 Medjool dates per cup, and it will be more if you use smaller dates. Place the dates in boiling water for about 10 minutes with baking soda, to soften and rehydrate. Use a food processor to pulse the dates and excess water until smooth. This is especially important if using Bundtlettes, as you don't want a chunky date pieces on your batter.
Beat butter and brown sugar, and add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking powder until combined.Using a spoon, add the date mixture and your batter is complete. Pour the batter into the greased bundtlettes or muffin tins. Because of the ridges on the bundtlettes, use a piping bag to cleanly fill the tray. Don't fill higher than ⅔ full, or it will overflow when it cooks. Bake for about 20 minutes on 350°F/180°C, and allow to cool for ten minutes before flipping over to remove from the baking pan. Serve warm with butterscotch or caramel sauce.
Easy Butterscotch Sauce To Die For!
I'm not kidding when I tell you this is the tastiest and easiest butterscotch sauce you will ever make. Everyone will be asking for more, and you will be tempted to eat it before you are ready to serve your dessert! My Butterscotch Sauce only needs 3 ingredients; butter, brown sugar and whipping cream. There is no complicated instructions either. Throw the 3 ingredients into a saucepan, bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar is dissolved, before reducing heat to simmer for 2 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't bubble over, and your tasty butterscotch sauce is done!
Sticky Date Pudding Recipe Tips
- Prepare the Sticky Date Pudding the day before you are ready to serve, and prepare the easy butterscotch sauce before serving. Quickly re-heat the toffee pudding before serving.
- Add some winter spice. You only need a bit, ½ teaspoon of Mixed Spice or Pumpkin Spice Mix provide extra warmth for this winter dessert.
- Mix in ½ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
- If making this recipe in a single sheet cake, you will need about 40 minutes of baking. Check with a toothpick by inserting it into the centre. If it comes out clean, then it's baked.
- Poke holes all over sticky date puddings if using a muffin tin or a sheet cake, before you add the sauce. This ensures the caramel flavor seeps right through before serving. If you made the bundtlettes, I would serve as is.
Check out my Favorite Australian Desserts
- Pavlova Trifle - A Modern Update
- Honey Joys (made with Corn Flakes)
- Pavlova Wreath for Christmas
- White Christmas Slice
This recipe will change your mind about dates! One of my favorite desserts, perfect to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Fancy to look at, but easy to make. I promise you, everyone will be asking for seconds. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
Sticky Date Pudding
- 1 tablespoon melted butter for greasing pan
- 1 cup Medjool dates pitted and diced
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda bi-carb soda
- ½ cup salted butter 50g 1x stick
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour 150g sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup whipping cream
Instructions
Sticky Date Pudding
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F/180°C
- Grease baking tray with butter - Bundtlettes or Texas muffin pans
- Place the diced dates in a bowl with 1 cup boiling water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Do not worry if the liquid is absorbed by the dates. Place dates and excess liquids in food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds until smooth.
- Beat butter and brown sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture. Add eggs one at a time until well blended. Mix in vanilla, flour and baking powder on lower speed until combined. Using a spoon, add the dates until mixed through.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, only filling ⅔ of the way to the top of each baking cavity.
- Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting upside down to remove the individual sticky date pudding serves.
Butterscotch Sauce
- Combine butter, brown sugar and whipping cream into a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil while stirring until all the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Reduct heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
- Serve your Sticky Date Pudding warm. Drizzle with butterscotch sauce and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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