Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake

And… happy The Monday Before Thanksgiving everyone.  Have you done your shopping yet?  I nearly forgot it was holiday time until I went to the store this weekend and was distressed by the typical cannot-find-a-parking-spot situation that seems to be endemic to this time of year.

I wanted to share this Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake for those of you who are in need of a pumpkin-alternative desserts this holiday season.   Believe it or not, the prevalence of pumpkin spice on the internet does not mean that there aren’t some people that cringe at the thought of squash in their baked goods (my sister and Dave, included).

Thus, I decided to develop a recipe that could be enjoyed by all.  And, as usual, the office coworkers got to be the taste-testers.  (Spoiler: it was a hit!). For anyone who has never heard of this dessert- Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British dessert that is moistened by a adding dates to a simple cake batter and dousing the entire thing with toffee sauce.  It is rich, decadent, moist, and incredibly gooey.

Typically it is served as a small flat piece of cake- i.e. made into individual ramekins or in an 8-inch round.

I decided to go for the gold and see what happened if I turned this into a bundt cake.  
 And lo-and-behold, the results were spectacular.

The resulting cake was perfectly flavored and held the moisture well (no overly dry bits, even, on the top).  The dates added a rich sweetness and moisture to the batter.

And the toffee sauce tasted like a fusion of caramel sauce and butterscotch.  And- I might add- made an outrageous amount of sauce, which ended up being perfect for fully dousing the cake in sweetness and having extra to drizzle on individual slices.(Because let’s be real, the cake is really just a vehicle for the sauce).

So for any of you pumpkin-haters, this might just be the dessert for you this week.  Wishing everyone a fantastic holiday!

Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake

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Ingredients

  

_For the cake_

• 1 stick 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 12 oz. Pitted dates
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

_For the toffee sauce_

• 11 tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a large (12-15 cup) bundt cake pan.
• In a blender combine the pitted dates and boiling water. Carefully puree the dates in the blender and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Cream together using a hand mixer.
• Next add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until fluffy.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Alternating, add the hot date puree to the batter, alternating with the flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Pour batter into your prepared bundt cake pan. Tap on the counter to remove any trapped air and to level the batter in the tin.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile prepare the toffee sauce.
• In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat.
• Add brown sugar and cream and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consistently.
• Boil for 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat.
• Pour into a heat-safe measuring cup.
• When the cake is done, let it rest in it’s pan for about 5-10 minutes. Then flip out onto a cooling rack or plate. Poke the cake all over with a toothpick.
• Next, pour ½ cup of the toffee sauce into the bundt cake mold.
• Return the cake to the bundt cake mold until the cake cools to room temperature.
• Refrigerate the remaining toffee sauce while the cake cools.
• Flip cake out onto serving plate. (Might stick a little due to the sauce- whack it hard with the heel of your hand until it comes out).
• Pour about ¾ cup of the remaining sauce over the cooled cake.
• Slice and serve with additional drizzle of toffee sauce, as desired.

Notes

For anyone who is curious, this is the bundt cake pan used in this recipe.

I also recommend this brand of pitted dates.  

Did you make this recipe? Head on over to Instagram and tag me @thegourmetgourmand or share on the hashtag #thegourmetgourmand. Happy cooking!