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Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

This layered version of a sticky toffee pudding cake is soaked in warm toffee sauce and frosted with caramelized white chocolate buttercream.
Prep Time1 hour
Total Time3 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sticky toffee pudding
Servings: 12

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
  • cup (135g) white sugar
  • cup (145g) dark brown sugar
  • 4 eggs

Toffee Sauce

  • 1 cup (220g) brown sugar
  • 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.