Also known as Sticky Date Pudding, this date cake is moist and comforting with notes of caramel and raisin. An easy homemade rum sticky toffee sauce ties the cake together and brings you back for more!
This post was originally published on April 20, 2022. It was updated with new recipe information on Feb 21, 2024.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure policy for details.
Table of Contents
This cake, folks, is good enough for me to exclaim to anyone who's in ear shot how much I love it -- regardless if it's the 6th time I've eaten it that week. Just ask Chris. I did it again last night.
A platter of this cake on the counter signifies comfort and knowing that life is certainly going to be great at least for a few minutes that day. It is a sign of the love and care that the baker put into creating their masterpiece. You can even taste love in the rich date sponge; the rum toffee sauce is virtually dripping with comfort.
Yes, this cake might take a little bit of TLC to get it together. But to show your loved ones -- or yourself-- that you care is more than worth it. Serve this cake anytime you are craving nostalgia, want a sweet pick-me-up, or want to celebrate with a classic.
What is sticky date pudding?
Sticky date pudding is a dessert that originated in the United Kingdom. It is a cake that is made with cooked-down dates and spices and is covered in a rich toffee sauce. Usually, it is served warm and is garnished with either whipped cream or ice cream.
What Dates are Best for Sticky Date Pudding?
Medjool dates are the best dates for date cake, as they are soft, juicy, and have pronounced caramel flavors. Other dates, like Deglet Noor dates, are too dry and waxy to work successfully in this cake.
Ingredients
- Medjool Dates: Pit the dates before using them in the recipe. For easiest use, purchase pre-ditted dated.
- Raisins: Classic red raisins offer richness and caramel flavors to the cake.
- Vanilla Extract: Choose pure vanilla pure extract if possible.
- Light Rum: An optional ingredient, but light rum adds a light but nuanced caramel flavor to the cake. Any type of light rum works; I've even used Hawaiian light rum and it's delicious. Whereas you don't need an expensive rum, you also want you use one that has good drinking flavor. All of the alcohol burns off in the making of this recipe, so the cake and the toffee sauce are both alcohol-free.
- Date Syrup: Adds an extra concentrated date flavor to the cake. You can purchase date syrup at Trader Joe's or on Amazon.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: For leavening the cake, creating a tender and moist crumb.
- Light Brown Sugar: Pack the sugar tightly when measuring for the most accurate measurements.
- Unsalted Butter: This allows us to control the seasoning of the cake, as different brands of butter add different amounts of salt to their salted varieties. If you do not have unsalted butter, salted butter can work as a replacement. Just reduce the salt in the rest of the recipe by a pinch.
- Large Eggs: Brought to room temperature for the most light and well-risen sponge.
- Ground Allspice: For a nuanced warm-spiced finish to the dessert.
- Salt: Opt for fine sea salt if possible.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Also known as heavy cream, this is a key ingredient in making the toffee sauce rich and pourable.
How to Make Date Cake
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Part 1: Make the date paste.
Step 1: In a saucepan, combine the dates, raisins, vanilla extract, date extract, rum, baking soda, and hot water.
Step 2: Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
Step3 : Remove the dates from the heat. Pour the dates into a mixing bowl and mash into a paste. Chill.
Part 2: Make the Cake.
Step 1: In a stand mixer, cream together the brown sugar and softened butter until smooth and light brown.
Step 2: Mix the eggs into the mixture one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, allspice, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4: Mix half of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in half of the date paste. Repeat until the date paste is evenly mixed into the batter and no streaks of flour remain.
Step 5: Pour the batter into a prepared bundt cake pan and bake until the cake is baked through, or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Part 3: Make the rum toffee sauce.
Step 1: Add the brown sugar and butter to a medium saucepan. Pour the heavy whipping cream over the sugar and butter. Do not stir or mix the ingredients.
Step 2: Heat the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the toffee sauce to a simmer and cook, not stirring or disturbing the sugar and cream, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Step 3: Pour the light rum into the toffee (if using) and cook the sauce, gently stirring occasionally, or until the toffee is a light caramel color.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Cream the butter and sugar until it's light and smooth. This may take a few minutes of mixing and a rounds of scraping down the sides of the bowl between mixing intervals. Starting with room temperature butter will help the process go quickly and smoothly. Getting the mixture night and light and fluffy is worth it, though, as it help creates a light and even cake.
- Mix the eggs in individually. Mix in the eggs one-by-one, completely incorporating them into the butter and sugar mixture (and scraping down the sides of the bowl of needed), before mixing in the next egg.
- Measure the flour by weighing it. Though I know this sounds fanatical, one of the best ways to ensure that your cake isn't heavy and dense is to weigh the flour on a food scale. Food scales are only $10 on Amazon and can make such a difference in your baking! If you can't get one by the time you make this recipe, I recommend spooning and leveling the flour into measuring cups.
- Let the date paste cool before stirring into the batter. This way the paste doesn't shock the rest of the batter or prematurely cook the eggs.
- Don't stir the toffee sauce before the sugar dissolves. Letting the sugar dissolve completely before stirring the sauce keeps the toffee sauce from getting grainy or sandy. Only start to gently stir the toffee sauce once all of the sugar is dissolved into the liquid.
- Rum is optional. This recipe is delicious made without the rum as well. If you don't have rum or otherwise don't want rum or alcohol in this recipe it can just be omitted from the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this sticky toffee pudding warm with the rum toffee sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.
When enjoying leftovers, I recommend serving them reheated. Warm up individual slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at 50% heat, or until the cake is just warmed through. Drizzle with the warmed toffee sauce and top with whipped cream or ice cream (I'm a whipped cream gal)!
If you prefer to not go through the hassle of reheating the date cake or simple prefer it cold, you can also serve it cold! I do recommend still warming up the toffee sauce, however.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: Leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. For best results, freeze the additional toffee sauce separately. Thaw the cake covered at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
- Reheating: To reheat the toffee sauce, add the cooled toffee sauce to a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring periodically, or until the sauce has loosened and is warned through.
Save This Recipe for Later on Pinterest
Tools Needed to Make this Recipe
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Food scale
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Potato masher
- Silicone spatula
- Bundt cake pan
- Wire cooling rack
More Cake Recipes
If you made and liked this recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went for you in the comments! It always makes my day to hear from you!
ash says
this was delicious, well balanced and moist - the allspice adds such a great and unique flavor to the cake. my husband couldn't stop raving about it!
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Ash!
Oh, I am so glad to hear that! Thanks for reviewing and sharing!
All the best,
Chelsea
pHqghUme says
1
pHqghUme says
1
pHqghUme says
1 waitfor delay '0:0:15' --
pHqghUme says
LUsNRM0P'; waitfor delay '0:0:15' --
pHqghUme says
SPvKTTik')) OR 564=(SELECT 564 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
pHqghUme says
1*DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(99)||CHR(99)||CHR(99),15)
pHqghUme says
1'||DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(98)||CHR(98)||CHR(98),15)||'
0"XOR(if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0))XOR"Z says
1
(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)/*'+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+'"+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+"*/ says
1
pHqghUme says
555
VkYayc6u' OR 202=(SELECT 202 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
1
M7SZRqiw') OR 483=(SELECT 483 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
1
LjwKRoZ6')) OR 66=(SELECT 66 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
1
pHqghUme'||DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(98)||CHR(98)||CHR(98),15)||' says
1
0"XOR(if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0))XOR"Z says
555
(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)/*'+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+'"+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+"*/ says
555
1 waitfor delay '0:0:15' -- says
555
soCp7iMU'; waitfor delay '0:0:15' -- says
555
kHOFAIRN' OR 880=(SELECT 880 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
555
sSp2HzZc') OR 165=(SELECT 165 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
555
x23d6IBN')) OR 208=(SELECT 208 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
555
qHO2m4rL says
555
-1 OR 3+447-447-1=0+0+0+1 says
555
if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0) says
555
pHqghUme says
e1mzh05j
0'XOR(if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0))XOR'Z says
555
pHqghUme says
if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0)
pHqghUme says
0'XOR(if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0))XOR'Z
pHqghUme says
0"XOR(if(now()=sysdate(),sleep(15),0))XOR"Z
pHqghUme says
(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)/*'+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+'"+(select(0)from(select(sleep(15)))v)+"*/
pHqghUme says
-1; waitfor delay '0:0:15' --
pHqghUme says
-1); waitfor delay '0:0:15' --
pHqghUme says
RJS0v1sh'; waitfor delay '0:0:15' --
pHqghUme says
-1)) OR 824=(SELECT 824 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
pHqghUme says
1'"
RaknJdip'; waitfor delay '0:0:15' -- says
555
IwhPpDZe'; waitfor delay '0:0:6' -- says
555
pHqghUme says
-5 OR 530=(SELECT 530 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
Nn1nAVzA') OR 616=(SELECT 616 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
555
pHqghUme says
-5) OR 616=(SELECT 616 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
ZVXWGUAm')) OR 731=(SELECT 731 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))-- says
555
pHqghUme'||DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(98)||CHR(98)||CHR(98),15)||' says
555
pHqghUme says
2YVIdyh6
pHqghUme says
555'||DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(98)||CHR(98)||CHR(98),15)||'
pHqghUme says
-5 OR 837=(SELECT 837 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
pHqghUme says
-5) OR 992=(SELECT 992 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
pHqghUme says
K9IXISAA')) OR 435=(SELECT 435 FROM PG_SLEEP(15))--
pHqghUme says
555*DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(99)||CHR(99)||CHR(99),15)
pHqghUme says
1%2527%2522