Recipe from Jessica Koslow
Adapted by Oliver Strand
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- 5(353)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This cake is a showstopper that a baker with rudimentary skills could pull off. The topping is a toffee glaze made with brown sugar, agave, butter and sea salt; you pour half of it over the cake while still hot so that it saturates the cake, giving it a puddinglike consistency, then wait before using the rest as a high-gloss frosting you sprinkle with sea salt. Seemingly complicated, but surprisingly simple. —Oliver Strand
Featured in: Review: The Sqirl Cookbook, “Everything I Want to Eat”
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:9 servings
- 14tablespoons/200 grams unsalted butter (1¾ sticks), at room temperature, more for the pan
- 8ounces/225 grams pitted dates, chopped
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½cup/80 grams dried currants
- 1cup/130 grams whole-wheat flour
- ½cup plus 2 tablespoons/80 grams all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾cup/165 grams packed light brown sugar
- 2large eggs
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½cup/170 grams agave nectar
- ½cup/110 grams packed light brown sugar
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter
- Fleur de sel
For the Cake
For the Sticky Toffee
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)
570 calories; 22 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 93 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 66 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 356 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
Step
1
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees and butter an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.
Step
2
In a small pot, combine dates, lemon juice and ¾ cup/180 milliliters water. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer gently until dates soften and start to fall apart, about 6 minutes. Add currants to the pot and set aside to cool completely.
While date mixture cools, stir together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and salt.
Step
4
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla and cooled date mixture, followed by flour mixture.
Step
5
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing the surface. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
Step
6
Meanwhile, make the sticky toffee: In a small pot (you can use the same one you used for the dates), combine agave, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Once sugar dissolves and bubbles, remove from heat and swirl in butter.
Step
7
When the cake comes out of the oven, spoon half the sticky toffee over it and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. (It will soak into the cake.)
Step
8
When the cake has cooled completely and the remaining sticky toffee has thickened, spread it over the cake with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve. Store, loosely wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Ratings
5
out of 5
353
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Debbie C
Can I use honey instead of agave?
Karyn
This sounds delicious. One question: does the cake stay in the pan?
Janet
I enjoy sticky toffee pudding so thought I'd try this...but don't want to buy agave which I'll never use again, probably. Any substitute?
CJ
If you're concerned it might be too rich for you, perhaps you could try using pureed pumpkin or squash in place of some of the butter. Certainly such a substitution would change the texture and flavor of the cake, but I bet it would still be delicious in its own way. I've been experimenting with substitutions of that kind for over twenty years, and I find that the results are usually just wonderful.
Lauren F
I let a tablespoon or two of white miso paste dissolve into the sugar-agave mixture of the sticky toffee. The miso added some subtle umami flavor and really pushed it over the edge!
E
Oh this cake is so good!
I cut down on the sugar following others' suggestions, and used a springform cake pan that made it dead simple to take it out of the pan following cooking. I then set it on a cake stand before adding the toffee and sea salt.
I made it for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit, and kept well for a couple days of decadent post-holiday snacking.
Tania Barnes
I liked it, and it smelled amazing, but it is mightily sweet - I would use a bit less sugar next time since the dates provide plenty, plus the toffee sauce. I would also maybe skip the currants -- I thought they might provide a little bit of sharpness to balance the sweetness, but instead I just felt like I wanted to avoid them (and I like currants, but generally in savory dishes).
Lynne
Why not just Sticky Toffee Pudding? A salt sprinkle? Horrors! Thick, whipped cream is what you want.
Karyn
This looks delicious, but one question: does the cake remain in the pan?
CJ
Because variations on a theme can be fun. And lots of people love the combination of salt and caramel. I do myself. Perhaps it might be a good idea to serve both fleur de sel AND cream, so each diner can choose what pleases him (or her) best.
Sally
the flavors were fantastic, but the baking time is off - I baked for 50 minutes, and the toothpick came out clean, but then the center fell and the middle was underbaked.
CJ
It seems to me that honey is usually more intensely sweet than agave, so I think you would have to correct for that. I'd be inclined to try corn, maple, brown rice or golden syrup instead.
CJ
I had the same thought, as I don't like agave. I imagine some possible substitutions might include corn, brown rice or maple syrup. I'd be concerned about using honey, because it is so intensely sweet, you'd have to correct for that, and I think that might be tricky.
Pug Lady
I used a 9" round pan and it was fully cooked in 40 minutes. It's very sweet, moist and dense. The dates give it wonderful texture. I wouldn't call it a showstopper, but a little slice would be a delicious accompaniment for midday tea.
Keri
I found the sticky toffee to be super sweet and bland - lacking any real caramel-y flavor. Very one-note. I thought the cake was delicious! but when I repeat this, it will be with another topping (probably a salted caramel sauce that I love).
elissa-wa
This cake is so good! I’ve modified it to be low fat, high fiber and sugar free (as in no added sugar) and it’s still so delish.
gh
Couldn’t find whole wheat flour and just used regular flour and turned out great!
nooorrrr
Has anyone tried to make this vegan?
Aloumun
Easiest cake I’ve ever made from scratch!! Will totally make again!I will say though that it took longer to bake than the recipe said it sank in the middle once it cooled, but it was still a hit!
B MacKay
Had this cake first in Holland while we were visiting a friend from Utrecht (sp). It was wonderful. A perfect rich extravagant special-occasion desert!
Tulio Treviño
You can absolutely substitute maple syrup for agave. I cooked for 50 minutes and the cake was perfectly cooked through. It does sink a bit in the middle when cooling, but I think it's more to do with the weight and moisture of the batter than the done-ness. When I make it again, I will skip the cooled sticky toffee frosting on top. The soaked cake is perfect without it, a bit overly sweet with it.
ErikaShaffer
Made 2/22 in 8 inch spring form. Lovely tho needs to bake just a little longer. Did about 40 mins at 25 degrees below and convection. Did Alf the sugar in the cake and about two thirds of total sticky toffee recipe. Perfect combo with coffee
Bobbie
Does anyone have the macros on this? :)
Kim
This is a delicious cake and came out of the pan beautifully. It was easy to make, but took some time given the number of steps. I made 2 substitutions out of necessity - used mostly wheat flour because I ran out of white and used 3 medium eggs (bought by mistake) instead of 2 large). I will make this again.
RuchikaK
This cake was wonderful tasting with a few tweaks. I used 8 oz butter and 1/4th cup avocado oil for making the cake batter. I didn't use currants and used only 1/2 cup light brown sugar on top. The cake did not sink in the middle like other reviewers reported after reducing the sugar and using a combination of oil and butter. I also added some toasted pecans which made it wonderful.
SharonATX
Add us to the chorus of people whose cake sunk in the middle. Followed directions and cooked for the exact time--toothpick came out clean in the center, removed the cake, and PLOP. It was underdone towards the center. The flavors were delicious, but we found the whole thing a bit too overly sweet--and we love sweet. We'd suggest using the sticky toffee at the end as more of a drizzle. Overall OK, but there are better cakes on the app with similar flavor profiles.
tymcan
This is a delicious cake! It’s great served with whipped cream, or even just a little cream pour on top in a bowl. I’d recommend a springform pan because there is no way you are ever getting it out of your cake pan with all that sticky toffee on the first pour. Delicious with tea.
Michelle
My husband is British and I’ve made every ginger-fruit-spice-cake around. This is one of the very best. I cut back a bit on the sugar, substituted dried cranberries for the currents for tartness and because I had them, and added a touch more salt. Definitely a keeper—everyone loved it, from age 4 to 62.
Netra
Excellent recipe .. so soft with the toffee adding to the richness of the cake. It’s a desert cake for sure .. easy to stir up and baked to perfection!
Private notes are only visible to you.