Like the traditional English dessert, this layered version of a sticky toffee pudding cake is soaked in warm toffee sauce. The layers are sweetened with plump dates and frosted in a caramelized white chocolate buttercream.
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Turn Sticky Toffee Pudding into a Layer Cake
The cake layers are filled with moist, sweet dates that are soaked with warm toffee sauce in this sticky toffee pudding layer cake.
Traditionally served as squares, this riff is layered with caramelized white chocolate buttercream and topped with even more toffee.
You will love all the cozy flavors of this cake. It is packed with brown sugar, toffee, and caramel notes in roasted white chocolate buttercream.
When poured over a brown sugar cake, warm toffee soaks into the cake layers making them extremely moist and even butterier.
The natural, earthy sweetness of the dates combines beautiful with all the warm flavours and molasses from the brown sugar.
INGREDIENTS IN Sticky toffee pudding CAKE
Here is a quick glance at some of the ingredients needed beyond basic pantry staples. Find a complete list with quantities in the full recipe to follow.
- Dates (preferable medjool)
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- White chocolate
- Egg whites
- Pure vanilla extract
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
These are the primary tools you will need to bake this cake:
- Stand mixer
- Three, 8-inch cake pans
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Saucepan
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula
- General kitchen tools (measuring spoons, cups, etc).
Caramel vs Toffee vs Butterscotch
Caramel, toffee, butterscotch - we love it all! But, have ever taken a moment to think about the difference between caramel and butterscotch and toffee? Let's take a closer look....
In general, caramel refers to cooked sugar. In fact, you can make caramel in its purest form by simply boiling plain sugar on the stovetop. To make caramel sauce, cream and sometimes a small amount of butter is added to granulated white sugar that has cooked to a medium-amber color.
For butterscotch, use brown sugar. And as the name would indicate, a lot of the flavor comes from, you guessed it - Butter!
Add cream to the melted butter and brown sugar to turn it into a sauce. Then, everything returns back to the stove and cooked together until the sauce thickens.
Toffee vs. Butterscotch. This is where things might get confusing.
They use pretty much the same ingredients. However, if you bring the brown sugar + butter mixture to the hard crack stage, then it will turn into toffee candy as it cools.
So then what is toffee sauce? Isn't it just the same as butterscotch sauce? Well, basically yes.
Steps for Making a Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
- Roasted the white chocolate: This process takes 30 to 40 minutes at a low oven temp. I recommend this gets done ahead of time.
- Make the Swiss meringue buttercream: This buttercream has a bit of down time, so you may consider making it while the chocolate caramelizes. It may also be made in advance (see Baker's Notes).
- Soak the dates: Soak chopped dates in boiling baking soda water for about 10 minutes or until plump.
- Bake the cake layers
- Make the toffee sauce
- Soak the cakes: Pour half of the warm toffee sauce over the cakes and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
- Assemble the cake
- Pour the toffee over the top
Baker's Notes
- If you prefer not to caramelize the white chocolate yourself, you can purchase "blonde" chocolate like Valronha Blond Dulcey
- White the white chocolate cooks in the oven, it will go through a dry, crumbly stage. Keep stirring and smoothing against the baking pan.
- You can make the caramelized white chocolate in advanced. As with other chocolate, it will harden as it cools. Melt over a double-boiler before adding to the buttercream.
- Reheating the toffee sauce may cause it to split. Reserve half for pouring over the top of the cake, but keep at room temperature until needed. If you must, gently reheat the toffee at half powder in the microwave in short intervals until pourable.
- There are many steps for this recipe, so you may make the Swiss meringue buttercream in advance. It may sit out at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring the buttercream to room temperature and rewhip before frosting.
Serving and Storage
- If making the same day, store the cake at room temperature before serving.
- Cover leftovers loosely in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can make the caramelized white chocolate weeks in advanced. Store at room temperature and melt as needed.
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Recipe
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Ingredients
Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream
- 5 oz white chocolate
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
- 2 cups (480ml) boiling water
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 oz dates with pits
- 3 cup (375g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g)unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup (135g) white sugar
- ⅔ cup (145g) dark brown sugar
- 4 eggs
Toffee Sauce
- 1 cup (220g) brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (160ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Line a baking pan with a silicone mat (if you have one).
- Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir and smear the chocolate until it becomes smooth and a caramel color., like peanut butter
- Stir in a pinch of salt when done.
- Mix into the Swiss meringue buttercream until smooth.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. set aside.
- Pit and chop the dates and place in a heat-safe bowl. Stir the baking soda into the boiling water and pour over the chopped dates. Stir to loosen and set aside.
- Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars for about 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined.
- Add in the vanilla.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low, add in half of the flour mixture.
- Carefully stream in most of the water left with the dates.
- Add in the remaining flour and mix until just combined and the last streaks of dry ingredients disappear.
- Gently stir in the dates and any remaining water.
- Distribute the batter between the pans and bake for about 26 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans.
Toffee Sauce
- Place the sugar, cream, and butter in s small saucepan.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Stir with a wooden spoon for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens
- Let cool until desired consistency is reached.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk by hand to combine. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer.
- Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double-boiler. Stirring intermittently, bring the egg white mixture to about 155 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Once hot, carefully transfer the mixer bowl back to the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the egg mixture until medium peaks - or until the outside of the mixer bowl returns to room temperature.
- Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add in the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Add in the vanilla. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix until silky smooth.
Assembly
- Once the cakes have cooled, trim them and then place them back in their pans. Poke holes in the cakes with a wooden skewer.
- Make or reheat the toffee sauce. It should be warm and fluid.
- Pour about half of the toffee sauce over the tops of the trimmed cakes. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. Save the remaining toffee for the top of the cake.
- Once the cakes are done soaking, spread on about 1 cup of the buttercream between the layers of cake.
- Ice the top of the cake to give the toffee a nice surface to drip from.
- Frost the sides of the cake with any remaining buttercream.
- Pour the remaining toffee sauce over the top of the cake before serving.
Tori
This cake is stunning and perfect for any autumn occasion! I have to try it!
Tessa
Thank you, Tori! It's a perfect rainy-weather cake =)
Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous)
oh boy, that toffee sauce dripping down definitely looks like liquid gold. and with caramelized white chocolate buttercream?? i'd like a slice for breakfast! i kept meaning to go to citizen cake, but never made it before it closed ):
Tessa
Thanks, Heather! The buttercream is definitely worth the trouble of caramelizing the white chocolate. So good!!
katie @ butterlust
I LOVE sticky toffee pudding! This version gorgeous, Tessa! Toffee/butterscotch...potAto/potato, delicious either way! 🙂
Tessa
Hahaha - yes! Who cares what you call it, as long as I can drizzle it on everything 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu
Your cakes are perfection! Thanks for the explanation, I have always wondered. Needless to say I love caramel, toffee and butterscotch in almost every form!
Tessa
Thanks, Jessica! Likewise 😉
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
Wow this cake looks incredible! I love sticky toffee anything 🙂 Never thought about the difference between butterscotch and caramel, very helpful to know!
Tessa
Thanks, June! All we really need to know anyways is that they all taste amazing =)
Amaryllis @ thetastyother.com
I've fallen in love with all things toffee lately (damn! It's a dangerous thing to fall in love with) and this cake must the most beautiful version of it I've ever seen. Thanks so much for sharing, Tessa!
Tessa
Thank you! Toffee, cameral, butterscotch - give me all of it!
Current Mood: A Very Autumnal Wedding
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I'd Eat That - hungrygirlporvida.com
[…] Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake–I don’t love dates, but I think this cake is convincing me otherwise. […]
J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats
Speechless. So beautiful and the flavours sounds entirely amazing. You are the master of frosting naked cakes, whenever I do it they either look too naked or not naked enough. This is the perfect level of cake nakedness (cake nudity?!) haha.
Tessa
Thank you! Hahah - master of cake nudity 😉
Stephanie
I'm half way through making this cakes for a friends birthday and the cakes have just come out great! I have a question about the buttercream- can I make it a day in advance and store in the fridge until I need it? Would I just get out a few hours before using and re mix in the ixer with paddle attachment? Thanks in advance!
Tessa
Stephanie - Yes! You can make the buttercream in advanced. Like you said, bring it to room temperature before re-mixing by letting it sit out a few hours or even microwave a small portion of it to help speed things along. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Amy
Could you give me more specific measurements for the flour/sugar etc rather than in 'cups' as I can never get this mode of measurement right!! Thanks.
Tessa
Hi Amy! I am slowly transitioning to writing my recipes by weight. Unfortunately, I do not have the specifics for this particular recipe, but hopefully in the future!
Diedra March
Out of the world excellent! I made this for tonight's dessert. My Dh is always happy to eat what I do not eat of my cake since I'm not fond of cake. He did not and will not get any of my share of this cake. I did cheat by using a cake mix but only because I cook gluten free. Thank you for sharing!
Kaitlyn Hagerman
I've made this cake a couple times, and the toffee sauce always gets grainy after it cools to room temperature. Is this normal? Do I need to cook it more or less?
Mehr Momin
I'm baking this cake for a friend and I'm super excited. If I bake it over 2 days should I add the toffee sauce to the cake the day I plan to assemble it or the day I bake the cake? I was thinking to bake the cakes, the toffee sauce and buttercream sauce the 1 day before. Then on the second day, I was going to assemble the cake. Also is storing it outside in a cake container better or should it be stored in the refrigerator? Thank you.
Roohafza DURRANI
Hello, this looks delicious, can I have the metric measurements plz