I love a good cake. But when you take that love, and infuse it with flavours reminiscent of one of my favourite desserts I go weak at the knees. And that's just what has happened to me this week. This is because when I stumbled across this Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake recipe, I was hit by two very pleasant feelings: happy and weak at the knees.
This dessert is a true classic English dessert and one of the best I have ever had. The colors and textures work wonderfully to create a dinner party winning cake that is sure to impress.
Ingredients
dates:
- 10 ounces pitted Medjool dates, chopped (about 18 whole dates)
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar, I used demerara
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons premium non-black molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Toffee sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, I used demerara
- 1 tablespoon premium molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Swiss Vanilla Meringue Butter:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
dates:
Put the dates and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda. Leave it while you make the cake mixture. Mash it before using it in cake.
cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease and grate three 6-inch cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Sit aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium high (about 3 minutes). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Add molasses and vanilla. Multiply until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, then add the hot mashed dates. Multiply until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and bake until cakes come back together when touched, a toothpick inserted in center and come out almost clean (about 40-45 minutes). Make the toffee sauce while the cake is baking.
- Cool in tubs on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then flip onto wire racks to cool completely.
Toffee sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Swiss Vanilla Buttercream:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat until combined.
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stovetop and whisk constantly until mixture is hot and grainy to the touch (about 3 minutes). Or it registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and beat on medium-high until meringue is stiff and cooled (bowl no longer warm to the touch (about 5-10 minutes)).
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Slowly add the butter cubes and mix until smooth. **
- Add the vanilla and beat until smooth.
Holographic:
- Trim the tops until they are flat and remove the top crust from the cake.
- Poke holes in the cakes with a bamboo skewer (or something similar in size). Spread 2-3 tablespoons of warm toffee sauce on each cake layer. evenly distributed. Cool completely.
- Place one layer of cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Put 2/3 cup buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Using a large cream scraper, scrape the icing onto the sides of the cake and smooth until a portion of the cake begins to show through. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Chill cake for 30 minutes.
- Heat the toffee sauce if necessary until it is crumbly but not too thin and not warm.
- Using a small spatula, place bits of the toffee sauce around the top edges of the cooled cake, letting some fall off. Fill the top of the cake with more toffee sauce and spread it evenly with a spatula.
Notes
* Make sure that there is no trace of egg yolk in the egg white and that the mixer bowl and paddle attachment are completely free of grease or the meringue will not harden.** Buttercream may look curdled at some point. Keep mixing until completely smooth.Cake recipe adapted from Rock Recipes.