Sticky Toffee Tray Pudding

Soft date sponge with warm, buttery toffee sauce soaking into every serving.
This homemade sticky toffee pudding bakes in one tray and cuts into generous squares.
The dates keep the sponge lovely and moist, while dark brown sugar and a little treacle give it a rich flavour. We make the toffee sauce with butter, brown sugar and cream, then spoon some over the warm pudding and keep the rest for serving.
Enjoy it warm with vanilla ice cream, cream or custard. It also reheats beautifully, making it a handy dessert to prepare ahead.

Serves: 12
Tin: 23 × 30 cm / approximately 9 × 12 inches, at least 5 cm deep
Preparation: 25 minutes
Baking: 30–40 minutes
Ingredients
Date sponge
• 250 g pitted dates, chopped — 1.6 UK cups / 1⅔ US cups
• 300 ml boiling water — 20 tbsp / 1.2 UK cups / 1¼ US cups
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
• 100 g softened unsalted butter — 7 tbsp
• 150 g soft dark brown sugar — approx ⅔ packed cup, UK or US
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 250 g plain flour / all-purpose flour — 1.9 UK cups / 2 US cups
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp black treacle or dark molasses, not blackstrap
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee sauce
• 180 g soft dark brown sugar — 0.8 packed UK cup / 0.85 packed US cup
• 100 g unsalted butter — 7 tbsp / 0.4 UK cup / scant ½ US cup
• 300 ml double cream or heavy cream — 1.2 UK cups / 1¼ US cups
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp fine salt

Heat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan / 350°F.
Bake 30–40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes: the centre should spring back gently, and a skewer should come out without wet batter


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