Sticky Toffee pudding with a toffee topping- a delicious English recipe.

Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (Traditional English Dessert)

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Hello again, and welcome to my blog! I do not know about you…but toffee, apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon “scream” autumn to me. Seeing as autumn has arrived at my blog, I wanted to incorporate one of those seasonal ingredients into my post. Therefore, this week, I decided to feature an iconic English dessert that has toffee as its main ingredient. Any ideas as to what this delicacy may be- before reading the next line?

Well, if you guessed a sticky toffee pudding recipe, then you would be correct. Sticky toffee pudding is high on my list of English favorites and must try treats.

If you like tantalizing toffee and moist cake, then this recipe my friend- is for you. Join me, and my homeschool crew, as I teach my four eager pupils how to make my traditional English sticky toffee pudding recipe.

Handwritten recipes for sticky toffee pudding and toffee sauce. The recipes are with some vintage candles and bunting flags.

~Sticky Toffee Pudding Verses Caramel~

Before we begin, I suppose we should take a moment to examine the differences of toffee and caramel. In America, we often use these two words in an interchangeable fashion. While similar, the confections are subtly unique. Toffee and caramel feature slightly different ingredients, cooking methods, and cooking times… yet they are easily confused. 

Now this is a tricky one to explain. As I understand it, toffee is most often served in the form of a hard candy. However, a toffee sauce- which is generally used for pouring over desserts and cakes- is not hard and brittle …but instead, smooth and creamy. A toffee sauce is made with butter, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla (or some variation of). Toffee is actually in the family of butterscotch. Whereas, caramel- can be created by heating white sugar to its melting point (where it browns). 

Toffee sauce has a buttery, rich taste. Caramel sauce tends to be a thinner consistency. (However, it can be cooked for longer periods of time to create a chewy texture). 

I imagine a few bits of brittle toffee crumbled on top of the sticky toffee pudding would be a delightful addition to the tradition. Perhaps, I will try this another time.

~English Eclairs: My First "Almost" Toffee~

A vintage Cadbury tin from England.
*This vintage Cadbury tin came from a local estate sale. I think tins are adorable accents that fit perfectly in a kitchen space. The above tin was only one dollar so I could not resist.

England does many foods well. One of my favorite English treats is English toffee. On my second visit to England (when my husband and I were dating), I was introduced to an English candy called Eclairs. Eclairs are made by Cadbury and are an addictive treat. They are actually classed as a chewy caramel (I believe, although I have seen some sources call them toffee?). Inside of the caramel/toffee, is a bit of milk chocolate. While maybe not technically toffee, it felt fitting to mention these delectable little sweets as they are just too good not too. If you get a chance to sample any of these…do!

When my husband and I lived in England, we often shopped at an Aldi that was located in the Cotswolds. This particular Aldi sold a lovely toffee- that I often craved when I was pregnant with our first daughter.

Obviously, I enjoy toffee- so when I discovered the iconic English sticky toffee pudding- it was no wonder that this dessert made it to the top of my must try list.

~Enter the Sticky Toffee Pudding: ~

In England the restaurant scene is a bit different to America- where there are literally hundreds of fast-food options to choose from. Many English meals are served in the local village pubs. These village pubs are often ancient on the outside and have a lovely warm and welcoming feel on the inside. Families gather here and it is not uncommon to see a well-behaved dog, lying in front of a roaring fire, in the middle of the pub. 

I can still remember the first time I read sticky toffee pudding on a pub menu. Naturally, I was intrigued and excited to try it. In particular, I also recall my father-in-law, as well as all the family in England, ordering a sticky toffee pudding from a pub at some point in my two-year stay. So, I guess you could say… that this sticky toffee pudding post is written in honor of them. (Hello English Family!)

~The Taste of Sticky Toffee Pudding~

Let me first describe the flavors of sticky toffee pudding to any who may be unfamiliar with this delightful treat. Hmm, let me think of as many descriptive words as I can. And go… sticky toffee pudding is moist, sticky, sweet, smooth, buttery, warm, rich, indulgent, and decadent. The whole pudding/cake is delicious, but it is the toffee topping that truly steals the spotlight. When the warm toffee topping, meets the cold vanilla ice cream, it hardens slightly- creating a lovely candy-like, chewy bite. 

On cold, drizzly, English nights- a treat like sticky toffee pudding literally “sticks” to your ribs and gives you comfort and happiness. Even after a large pub meal, you will somehow find a space in your tummy to fit at least a wee bite of warm sticky toffee pudding.

Sticky toffee pudding with the toffee topping sauce being added to the top of the cake.

~Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe: ~

Sticky toffee pudding on a dining table.
Elizabeth

English Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Sticky toffee pudding is a delicious traditional English dessert. The warm flavors of brown sugar, golden syrup, vanilla, molasses, and toffee make this warming dessert perfect for cooler autumn afternoons. This recipe is a must-try English treat!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 225 grams Pitted Dates (Note: Generally, this is approximately one bag).
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
  • 1½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ⅓ cup Salted Cream Butter (softened)
  • ⅔ cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 2½ tsp Vanilla
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1 Tbsp Molasses
  • 1 Tbsp Golden Syrup
  • 1⅔ cup All- Purpose Flour
  • 1½ tsp Baking Powder
  • ¼ tsp Coarse Sea Salt

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer
  • 1 Blender or Food Processor

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
  2. Carefully butter and flour a bundt cake pan. (Making sure to completely coat and flour the areas the cake batter will rest on).
  3. Cut pitted dates into bite sized bits. In a medium mixing bowl, add the chopped dates and sprinkle baking soda over the top of the dates. Pour boiling water over the dates. Stir and set aside to soften.
  4. Meanwhile, cream the sugar and the butter together until creamy and smooth.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
  6. Add the vanilla, molasses, and the golden syrup.
  7. In a separate mixing bowl add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Stir the dry ingredients together until combined.
  8. Add the soaked dates liquid mixture to the blender or the food processor. (You will include the liquid- do not throw it away!) Blend until smooth (the texture of the dates will be applesauce consistency).
  9. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until well combined- and a smooth batter is produced.
  10. Next, pour the pureed date mixture into the batter. Fold the dates into the batter by hand (using a rubber spatula). Do this until the ingredients are just combined.
  11. Pour the prepared batter into the bundt pan.
  12. Bake the pudding in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The pudding will be dark in color (not burnt- but this is a dark golden cake due to the brown sugar, molasses, and dates). When completely baked- a toothpick will come out clean.
  13. Allow the pudding to cool before removing from the bunt pan. (While the pudding cools, make the toffee topping sauce).
  14. Pour the toffee topping sauce over the cake. Slice warm and serve with vanilla ice cream or homemade custard.

Notes

*Note: You do not have to pour all the toffee topping sauce onto the top of the pudding. I like to drizzle about half of the sauce over the pudding- saving the other half for serving. A slice of the sticky toffee pudding, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and then a drizzle of the toffee topping sauce over it all.
*Leftover cake should be completely cooked before covering. Store leftover cake in a cake cloche on the countertop or in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The pudding can be eaten as is- or slightly warmed again in the microwave before reserving.

~How A Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe is Made in My American Kitchen (Photo Format)~

A handwritten recipe for sticky toffee pudding.

Now hopefully, I have spent enough time convincing you of the merit of sticky toffee pudding. So, without further ado, let us jump right into the kitchen. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea, and make yourself comfortable- and away we go!

After instructing my four eager pupils to wash their hands, we begin gathering our ingredients. Lying our ingredients out all together on the countertop (“down-der-top” as my littlest says), allows us to be a bit more efficient in our task. If “efficiency” in the kitchen, with four little children, even exists. 

The ingredients for sticky toffee pudding.

~Homemade Golden Syrup~

Perhaps, you are interested in making your own golden syrup? See my post on that here. Otherwise, you can sometimes find Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the international British section of a Publix grocery store.

Homemade golden syrup with a yellow, floral fabric topper for a jam lid.

~The Proof Is in the Pudding (Sticky Toffee Pudding)~

Chopped dates and baking soda. Boiling water is being poured over the top to help to soften the dates.
*Pitted dates- chopped and sprinkled with baking soda. The baking soda helps to break down the pectin in the fruit and soften the dates more quickly. It also removes some of the acidity, and therefore, prepares the fruit to be blended or mashed into the batter.
A bundt pan that has been greased and floured.
*Making sure that every nook and cranny is greased and floured is imperative even in a non-stick pan. Allowing the cake to cool a bit before removing it from the pan is helpful as well. There is nothing more frustrating in baking than when a beautifully baked cake will not release from the pan's grip.
Molasses being spooned into the sticky toffee pudding cake batter.
*Molasses works alongside the brown sugar to create a lovely, warm taste. I added golden syrup to my recipe as well for a bit of extra “English” and butterscotch taste.
The sticky toffee pudding batter being mixed in a stand mixer.
*Pureed dates are delightfully sweet and add a delicious, toffee-like flavor to the batter. As much as this is a dessert, it is still a sneaky way to get almost 2 cups of dates into the recipe without anyone having to know about it.

~Toffee Topping Sauce Recipe: ~

Sticky toffee pudding with the toffee topping sauce being added to the top of the cake.
Elizabeth

Toffee Topping Sauce

Toffee topping sauce is a decadent and creamy toffee that is cooked and then poured over a sticky toffee pudding. This rich, versatile toffee sauce could also be made to go over vanilla ice cream on its own.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • ½ cup Salted Butter (Sliced into tablespoons)
  • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2½ tsp Vanilla

Method
 

  1. Add all the ingredients to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
  2. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly (so as not to burn).
  3. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes (until the sauce begins to thicken).
  4. Pour a generous amount of the toffee onto the cooled sticky toffee pudding.
  5. Add a slice of the sticky toffee pudding to a bow-l and then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle more of the toffee topping sauce over the dessert and enjoy.

Notes

*Leftover toffee topping sauce is best stored in a lidded mason jar. 
*The sauce can be reheated in the microwave.

~The Toffee Topping Sauce (in Photo Format) ~

A handwritten recipe for homemade Toffee sauce (which is added to a sticky Toffee Pudding).
Toffee sauce being made in a heavy bottom saucepan.
*Toffee Topping is bound to be delicious if heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, salted butter, and vanilla are added. In my opinion, the topping is the best part!
Toffee topping sauce being cooked in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
*Bubbling away happily- just be sure not to burn the toffee topping- so don’t stop stirring, it will be worth it in the end!
Sticky toffee pudding on a dining table.
*Watching the warm toffee topping cascade over the top of the cake, and into each crevice, is pleasing!

~Decorative Accents to Accompany the Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe~

Every good cake needs a bit of glamor to go with it. That is why I decided to add a few flashy bits. I own two gravy boats (one I shared in this post about Eve’s Pudding), the other is pictured below. Both gravy boats where thrift store finds.

As I have said before, it is always good to be aware that some vintage and antique dinnerware items are known to have lead paint in them. (Therefore, if you have little ones, it is good to be mindful of this fact.)

However, I still like to appreciate the beauty of a sauce- served in a luxurious bit of “extra.” Cue the gravy boat. A little collection of these does not go amiss in a kitchen or display hutch. When I can, I pick these up for just a few dollars at a thrift store.

A vintage gravy boat- perfect for serving a warm toffee topping.
*How lovely are the elegant flowers and the dainty gold trims?
A vintage gravy boat- perfect for serving toffee sauce.
*Add a charming vintage book and the scene is set!

Another thrift store find was this silver cake server. When these silver items are spotted in a thrift store, they are often a dark color and very tarnished. However, if they are real silver (or even silver plated), they will polish up beautifully. Little touches can make serving a cake extra luxurious.

A silver cake server. This was a thrift store find and is the perfect accompaniment to our sticky toffee pudding.

~How to Serve Sticky Toffee Topping Sauce in a Lovely Way~

When it comes to serving toffee topping sauce- there are some who like to drizzle- and some who like to douse. 

Whichever camp you find yourself in, be our guest. In all honestly, I prefer to douse my sticky toffee pudding cake, but for the sake of my photograph, I opted to drizzle. 

Wanting to always make ordinary things lovely, I decided to serve my sticky toffee pudding on an English plate. (Afterall, the best way to make an English dessert feel at home is to serve it one an English plate. Am I right?).

Sticky Toffee pudding on a thrifted plate.
Sticky toffee pudding served with vanilla ice cream on a vintage plate from England.

~Sticky Toffee Pudding on a Countertop- a Warm Welcome Indeed! ~

You would be hard pressed to find something more comforting- on a cool autumn afternoon- than walking into a cozy kitchen where you see a sticky toffee pudding (in a cloche) on a countertop. 

Then, as every English person would know, you just need a cuppa tea… and a cozy seat… to go alongside the slice.

A sweet autumn afternoon- indeed!

Sticky Toffee pudding on a glass cake stand.
Sticky Toffee Pudding being displayed in a glass cloche.

~From Sticky Toffee Pudding to Home Decor: How to Make an Autumn Bunting Flag~

Now that our traditional sticky toffee pudding recipe has been made, let us turn our attentions to a bit of English inspired autumn home decor. 

If you are a regular blog reader, you will know that I enjoy making seasonal bunting flags. (See my post on how I make them right here.) Bunting flags are an easy decorative accent that add color and warmth to many spaces. My time living in England introduced me to bunting flags and I have been a fan ever since.

These autumn bunting flags were made with vintage lace and scraps of cream-colored fabrics. I put these together with items I had on hand. Not wanting to limit my creativity, I like to use the bunting in multiple ways around the house. On the fireplace mantel, across the skirt of a table, on a table as a centerpiece… to name but a few ideas.

For a bit of fun, I also added some more of my glitter, spray-painted autumn leaves that the children and I gathered from the backyard. It was an “un-be-leaf-ably” easy project to do. (As I just pinned the leaves on temporarily. This way they can be easily removed when they begin to turn brown.)

Homemade autumn bunting flags hung on an English table.
Bunting flags in the shape of a star are set around a glass cloche that is holding the star of the show--the sticky toffee pudding.
*Sticky Toffee Pudding: Star of the show!
Sticky Toffee pudding with toffee sauce-ready to be eaten.

~A Pudding, a Bunting, and a Homemade Candle~

Keeping the autumn spirit alive, let us move from our fall bunting flag creation to making a cozy homemade candle. Afterall, who doesn’t want to curl up with an interesting book, a slice of sticky toffee pudding, and a cozy homemade candle?

You may recall that a previous post of mine shared how I bought a wooden, heart shaped bowl from a thrift store. I stripped the bowl and added a lighter wax to it- to suit my personal tastes. Then, my revamped heart bowl, was ready to be transformed into a lovely homemade candle. (I did this by using soy wax (and some fragrance oils) to create a cozy candle. For one last cozy touch- I added some of my dried flowers to the top of the wax. 

However, to change the look of the homemade spring-inspired candle, I decided to remove the dried flowers. Only to replace them with some of my glitter sprayed, autumn leaves for a festive touch. (Of course, being mindful of flammability… and therefore- removing them when it was time to light the flame!)

Simple changes can make a difference (without spending money) to completely change your seasonal home decor.

A homemade candle that was poured into a wooden heart shapped bowl. Autumn leaves and dried flowers have been added to the top for decoration.

~Final Thoughts Until Next Time~

Well, it looks like this brings us to the end of my sticky toffee pudding recipe blog post. Thank you for reading along! 

I will conclude by saying, if you are going to make any English recipe- sticky toffee pudding is highly recommended as a must try dessert. Afterall, Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and sticky toffee pudding would be a lovely addition to the thanksgiving table. Just an idea. 

For more English recipe ideas- check out my ultimate guide to traditional English recipes here. Or see how my sticky toffee pudding acts as the perfect autumn recipe in my autumn inspired guide page here.

I hope to see you all again soon…goodbye for now.

~Elizabeth~

Sticky Toffee pudding on a glass cake stand.

2 thoughts on “Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (Traditional English Dessert)”

  1. Julie Kennedy

    What a truly beautiful post. I long to indulge in a taste of a sticky, toffee pudding! The fall and English china touches are lovely too.

    1. Elizabeth

      Thank you for your support and encouragement, you are very kind, Julie! I appreciate you taking the time to read and enjoy. 🙂

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