Sheet-Pan Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Sheet Pan

by: Eric Kim

November19,2018

4.4

7 Ratings

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 16 to 20

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Author Notes

Loosely adapted from Nigella Lawson's Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert from her cookbook, Nigella Bites, this sheet-pan version is one of my favorite things to make for guests during the colder months. I love this cake because it's one of those things I'm able to throw together when it seems I have nothing in my pantry and fridge. All it needs are the usual suspects, things like brown sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and milk—plus chopped dates. I often make this without the dates, but they're the ingredient that gives the dessert its signature flavor and squidge.

The important thing is to trust in Nigella's technique (it's a quirky one!): Once you spread the very simple batter out onto the sheet pan, you dot the cake with brown sugar, blobs of butter, and *pour* hot water (yes, hot water) all over the top. As this water-filled pan bakes in the oven, the liquid mixes with the butter and sugar and amalgamates into a luscious sauce. The sauce also inverts with the cake, so the batter bakes up into a tender sponge on top, while sticky toffee ends up on bottom. It's a very satisfying thing to watch happen, but requires a little faith. —Eric Kim

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Dinner for 20—for Under $100? It Can Be Done. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 1 stick salted butter, melted
  • 1 cuppacked dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoonpure vanilla extract
  • 2 cupsflour
  • 1 tablespoonbaking powder
  • 1 pinchkosher salt
  • 1 cupwhole milk
  • 1 cupchopped dates
  • "Sauce"
  • 2 cupspacked dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 stick salted butter
  • 2 cupsboiling water
  • 1/2 gallonvanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter an 18x13-inch half sheet pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Dump in the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk, and stir until smooth. Fold in the chopped dates. Spread batter out onto the buttered sheet pan.
  3. For the “sauce,” sprinkle over the 2 cups of brown sugar and dot with the 1/2 stick of butter. Pour the boiling water all over the top of the cake (trust me!) and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until caramelized on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tags:

  • Cake
  • British
  • Date
  • Sheet Pan
  • Entertaining
  • Holiday
  • Dinner Party
  • Dessert

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sammi Flinkton

  • Nancy Henderson

  • Eric Kim

  • Sabine Gagnon

Recipe by: Eric Kim

Eric Kim was the Table for One columnist at Food52. He is currently working on his first cookbook, KOREAN AMERICAN, to be published by Clarkson Potter in 2022. His favorite writers are William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway, but his hero is Nigella Lawson. You can find his bylines at The New York Times, where he works now as a writer. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ericjoonho.

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11 Reviews

Eliza W. December 25, 2022

This recipe is nothing short of incredible. I didn’t have the right size baking sheet on hand so I used my large pyrex dish and it worked so well. It was perfect to see the sauce bubbling at the bottom and also ensure the cake on top was baked to our liking. It was such an easy recipe to throw in the oven for our Christmas pudding while we enjoyed dinner and serve up warm immediately making it seem effortless! I even prepped my dry ingredients in a tupperware in advance so I could just dump and pour everything before we sat down to dinner.

The boiling water piece was also the best party trick. People were so confused and astounded by the method of making this dish it was fun to do together and then see how well it came out!

aclincol December 31, 2021

This recipe was really easy, which was nice. But with the amount of butter and sugar in sticky toffee pudding it needed to be phenomenal and it just didn't quite get there for me.

Sammi F. May 29, 2020

The first time I had sticky toffee pudding was actually from a Japanese sushi restaurant on Vancouver Island BC. My entire family and I were hooked! I'm going to use dried medjool dates for this recipe. Should I depitt them and soak them beforehand or can I just depitt and chop them up? Thanks

Sammi F. May 29, 2020

oops sorry posted in the reviews instead of questions forum:(

Nancy H. December 27, 2018

Giant hit. 14 for dinner. Prepped as much as I could in the afternoon and then just threw it all together when dinner was finished. Served warm with option of a spoonful of plain whipped cream or ice cream. Perfect! Rave reviews from children and adults alike. a simple tasty keeper recipe for a crowd. thanks!

Eric K. December 28, 2018

Oh my god! That makes me so happy. Thanks for sharing, Nancy.

Sabine G. January 3, 2019

Is this ok served next day room temperature?I was going to bake a 1/2 day ahead of time for a family getaway trip.

Kristen January 21, 2019

Not sure about this recipe in particular, but in the UK sticky toffee pudding is always served warm and that really is key because of the caramel sauce. Maybe you could rewarm the entire pan(?). I would probably pick a different dessert.

Laura R. February 5, 2020

How deep was the pan you used? I have an 18 x 13 pan but not sure if it is deep enough.

Eric K. February 7, 2020

Hi Laura, just a regular sheet pan (1-inch deep).

Laura R. February 7, 2020

Thank-you! I made it today and it was a hit!

Sheet-Pan Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between sticky date pudding and sticky toffee pudding? ›

Sticky toffee pudding, known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand, is a British dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake made with finely chopped dates (optional), covered in a toffee sauce and often served with a vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream.

Why baking soda in sticky toffee pudding? ›

Adding bicarbonate of soda to the pud helps it rise. It also helps break down the dates and disperse them through the mixture so they don't sink to the bottom.

Is sticky toffee pudding served with custard or ice cream? ›

It can be served with cream, ice cream or custard. It needs to be served with lots of sauce and I prefer a good quality vanilla icecream with mine but you can serve with clotted or double cream. It's a great family pudding and goes perfectly with a Sunday lunch.

Does sticky toffee pudding keep? ›

Freezing: Separate the pudding into individual servings and wrap each serving tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe resealable bag for up to 3 months. To Reheat the Pudding: You can warm the sticky toffee pudding in the microwave, the oven, a toaster oven, or even the grill (wrapped in foil).

Why can't you reheat sticky toffee pudding? ›

Unfortunately though these type of self-saucing puddings do not reheat very well as the sauce tends to thicken and be absorbed by the sponge as the pudding cools. So when you reheat the pudding it will have a sticky base but with very little sauce.

What is another name for sticky toffee pudding? ›

Sticky Date Pudding – you're my favourite and always will be. Also known as Sticky Toffee Pudding, the simple trick that makes all the difference is to pour some Butterscotch Sauce over the warm cake when it comes out of the oven. It makes it ultra moist and gives it that intense dark colour.

How do you keep toffee from getting chewy? ›

Low and slow. Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.

Why is my sticky toffee pudding dense? ›

Overmixing can result in a dense and tough pudding due to overdeveloped gluten. Mix until just combined. Baking Time - Keep a close eye on the baking time. Overbaking can lead to a dry cake, so use a toothpick to check for doneness.

What does cream of tartar do in toffee? ›

Cream of tartar can prevent your homemade hard candy, caramel, and toffee from forming a gritty texture due to sugar crystallization. Adding a pinch of cream of tartar to your sugar syrup will help break down the sugar molecules and stop them from crystalizing early on.

What pairs well with sticky toffee pudding? ›

Sticky toffee pudding is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

What is a fun fact about sticky toffee pudding? ›

While sticky toffee pudding has a reputation for being an old-timey dessert, it wasn't until the 1970s that it really became popularized. Fun fact: In New Zealand and Australia the dish is called sticky date pudding.

What goes best with sticky toffee pudding? ›

Top pairings

One of the all-time favourite British desserts sticky toffee pudding is super-sweet so will overwhelm most wines you might think of pairing with it so what should you choose? Your best bet is a sweet fortified wine like tawny port, sherry or Madeira, a beer (believe it or not!) or a whisky liqueur.

Can I eat sticky toffee pudding 2 days out of date? ›

Yes! To get the best shelf life we recommend refrigerating the puddings upon arrival to extend shelf life The dessert is shelf stable for approximately two weeks.

Where should I store sticky toffee pudding? ›

Make the drizzle by mixing the tahini, date syrup and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Pour over the mini sticky toffee puddings and enjoy! Store in the fridge in an air-tight container. You can reheat in the oven or the microwave if you prefer to enjoy them warm.

Why can't you freeze sticky toffee pudding? ›

You could freeze leftover portions of the pudding in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Freeze the sauce in a separate airtight container. Thaw the sponge and sauce overnight in the fridge. Reheat the sponge in the microwave and reheat the sauce in a saucepan over a low heat, stiring occasionally.

What does sticky date pudding taste like? ›

What does sticky toffee pudding taste like? Quite literally, heavenly! If you've never eaten one before, think of a light, moist brown sugar sponge cake covered in a sweet, sticky toffee sauce. Although the sponge itself is light, the dates also add a sticky, slightly chewy toffee like texture.

Do Americans have sticky date pudding? ›

The beloved British classic is popping up on dessert menus across the United States, from natural wine bars to Harry Potter World. Sticky toffee pudding is a clear communicator. The warm dessert is, yes, sticky from both dates and the accompanying butterscotch sauce.

How do you eat sticky date pudding? ›

The dates in this sticky pudding help to keep it moist, while the ginger and spices add a subtle warmth. This dessert is perfect heated slightly and served with cream and a sweet butterscotch sauce.

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