Sticky date toffee cake with hot toffee sauce: Date cakes seem to be really popular in Australia. While it pales in comparison to the popularity of banana bread, This sticky date cake is by far the best cake I have ever baked with no chocolate in it. Chocolate cakes are my weakness and specialty but now I must add dates to the list. I always seem to have luck while cooking or baking with them.
This recipe is adapted from the brilliant book 'A Passion for Baking' by Marcy Goldman
from where I baked the Toblerone Shortbread, which many of you loved for its simplicity. This cake is not as straightforward but it was yummy with such little effort.
I took step by step pictures and then realised there are way too many pictures. I put them in collages although I am not a fan of posting steps like this. Hope it's easy enough to understand, do leave your thoughts.
More easy cake recipes:
Orange cake
Chocolate truffle cake
Moist carrot cake
Banana cake with cream cheese frosting
Sticky Date Toffee Cake with Hot Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
For the date cake:
- ¾ cups pitted dates
- ¾ cups water
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (room temp)
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
For the hot toffee sauce:
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup cream
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 2 drops of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C
- Grease a springform cake pan or a normal round cake tin with butter
- In a saucepan, simmer dates in water and vanilla until they are soft and almost mushy (about 3-4 mins)
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam a bit. Mix well and set aside to cool completely
- In a bowl, cream butter with both sugars and orange zest until fluffy
- Blend in eggs and then fold in flour, baking powder and salt
- Then add the dates and mix until well combined
- Then add the dates and mix until well combined
- Pour into prepared cake pan
- Bake for 40-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. If the cake has crowned, cut off the top until the cake is level
To Make Hot Toffee Sauce
- Bring brown sugar, cream and butter to a gentle boil and let simmer for 5-7 mins until the mixture thickens
- Remove from fire and stir in vanilla
- Poke holes over the cake and pour the sauce when still warm all over it
Step One
Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease a springform cake pan or a normal round cake tin with butter.
Step Two
In a saucepan, simmer dates in water and vanilla until they are soft and almost mushy (about 3-4 mins). Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam a bit. Mix well and set aside to cool completely.
Step Three
In a bowl, cream butter with both sugars and orange zest until fluffy. Blend in eggs and then fold in flour, baking powder and salt. Then add the dates and mix until well combined.
Step Four
Blend in eggs and then fold in flour, baking powder and salt.
Step Five
Then add the dates and mix until well combined. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Step Six
Bake for 40-50 mins, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. If the cake has crowned, cut off the top until the cake is level.
To Make Hot Toffee Sauce
Bring brown sugar, cream and butter to a gentle boil and let simmer for 5-7 mins until the mixture thickens. Remove from fire and stir in vanilla. Set aside.
Once the cake is done and when it's still warm, poke holes with a skewer and pour the sauce over, allowing the cake to absorb it. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
aks
Loved the very idea of the cake 🙂 soooooo goooood
nags
thank you!
aks
Can i make this cake in a pressure cooker?
nags
yes you can try for sure. please follow instructions in this pressure cooker cake post.
Shilpa Sharma
Loved the cake, baked it today and it turned out fab
Nagalakshmi V
thank you shilpa 🙂
Tastyveedu
is it ok to substitute the orange zest with lemon zest??
Nagalakshmi V
yes sure!
Shalima
I saw this recipe yesterday (in fact i happened to see your blog yesterday and I am glad I did) and instantly I knew I had to try this. My 8.5 month baby in my womb told me he/she wanted it. So I made it today and OM... heavenly.. Thanks a lot for the recipe...
angel-at-heart
I saw the recipe yesterday (in fact I happen to see your blog yesterday for the first time) and i knew right then and there that I had to make it... I made it today and OMG... heavenly.. my husband loved it... 🙂 . Thanks a lot..
Anonymous
Ok recipe
Bharathy
innumkondu bakki ullathum theerthu ktta..:)
happa yummy yummy cake!..half of it will be off to M-r-i and b---gavi soon...:)
Bharathy
ya ya ya :)..bhadramayi irippondu :)..shakalam crumbilnu aditchu matti bakki bridgil onde..:)