Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (adapted from The English Kitchen)
High-Altitude adjustments in italics
4 Tb softened butter
3/4 cup plus 2 Tb dark brown sugar (minus 1 Tb)
1 cup plus 2 Tb all-purpose flour (plus 1-2 Tb)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (3/4 tsp)
*If you have self-raising flour and are not adjusting for altitude, use 1 cup plus 3 Tb self-raising flour and skip the salt and baking powder*
1 Tb golden syrup
2 Tb dark treacle
*If you can't find either of these, use 3 Tb of molasses. I had treacle, so I used 1 Tb of treacle and 2 Tb molasses. If you only have golden syrup, just replace the treacle with molasses. Treacle especially is really worth searching for in this recipe, it adds an amazing depth of flavor!*
2 large eggs (3 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g pitted dried dates, chopped (about 1 1/3 cup tightly packed)
1 Tb baking soda (1 1/4 tsp)
Toffee Sauce:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
8 Tb butter (I prefer salted, add a pinch of salt if using unsalted)
1 cup heavy cream
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees (410 degrees). Grease and flour a 9 inch round or square baking pan and set aside.
Place the chopped dates in a saucepan with 1 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cook for several minutes while you make the cake batter, until the dates have softened and the liquid is brown and thickened.
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Slowly beat in the golden syrup, treacle, and/or molasses, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the flour to the batter and mix on low until combined.
Your dates should be nice and softened by now. Remove from heat and, if you LIKE chunks of dates, stir the baking soda into your date liquid. If not, like me, dump your date mixture in a blender or food processor and puree it really quick. Then stir in the baking soda and immediately add to the cake batter. Stir the date mixture into batter gently, just until combined. Pour into prepared pan place in the oven. Bake 25-30 (20-25) minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Shoot low and don't overbake!!
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool in the pan until warm. (Don't worry if your cake is a bit sunken in the center. The only time I achieved a perfect dome with this cake was when I overbaked it. Trust me, you'd rather have it a bit concave than overdone!)
To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugar together in a small pan on medium heat. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens a bit. Pour half of the hot sauce over the warm cake (still in the pan), allowing it to soak in somewhat. Serve the rest with the cake. A drizzle of cream over the top is pretty awesome too!