Indulge in the ultimate comfort dessert with this soft, moist, and irresistibly sticky date pudding. Perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of double cream, this classic treat is ideal for tea time or as a delightful post-dinner dessert. The rich caramel sauce drizzled over the warm pudding enhances its buttery, sweet flavors, making it a must-try for all dessert lovers.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1 cake
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients for Sticky Date Pudding:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 125g softened butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 250g Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
For the Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 300ml thickened cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 60g butter
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 7 cm deep, 22 cm (base) cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine chopped dates and baking soda, then pour over boiling water. Let it sit for 20 minutes to soften.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gently fold the date mixture and sifted flour into the batter until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before turning it onto a serving plate.
- For the caramel sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until it boils, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Using a skewer, poke small holes all over the warm pudding. Pour ½ cup of warm caramel sauce over the pudding and let it soak for 10 minutes.
- Cut into generous wedges and serve with the remaining warm caramel sauce. Enjoy!