Description
A moist, deeply flavorful sticky date pudding cake with a rich, buttery caramel sauce. This one-bowl recipe is forgiving, impressive, and perfect for dinner parties or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (300g) Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chop dates into rough pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and let sit for 10 minutes to soften.
- Transfer soaked dates and reserved soaking water to a blender. Blend until a smooth, thick paste forms.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and pale.
- Stir in the date paste until fully incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle over wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour batter into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.
- While the cake bakes, combine heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir constantly until the mixture bubbles, then simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then pour the hot caramel sauce evenly over the top.
- Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to soak in before serving warm.
Notes
Use Medjool dates for best texture and sweetness. If using Deglet Noor dates, soak them for an extra 15 minutes. Do not overbake the cake; it should remain moist. The sauce thickens as it cools, so don’t worry if it looks thin immediately after boiling. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For a dairy-free option, substitute butter with coconut oil and heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice with sauce
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 55
- Sodium: 280
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 65
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 5
Keywords: sticky date pudding, caramel sauce, date cake, dessert recipe, easy baking, comfort food, gluten-free option, dairy-free option