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Sticky Toffee Pudding
To update Britain’s sticky toffee pudding—a steamed, too-often bland dessert hidden under a gluey, cloying syrup—we employed a bit of reverse-engineering, starting with the sauce. Instead of the traditional cream, we gave the toffee glaze a taste from home by spiking it with rye whiskey. The whiskey’s spice and heat cut through the sweetness of the dark brown sugar and corn syrup; orange zest added brightness. For the cake itself, we wanted to mirror the flavor of the rye, so we used a blend of rye and all-purpose flours. Dates that are steeped in coffee, then pureed, gave body. Together, the nutty rye and bitter coffee balanced the cake’s sweetness. To improve the dessert’s presentation, we made it in a Bundt pan. Covering the pan with foil kept the cake rich and moist, similar to a traditional steamed pudding.
10
Servings
Tip
Don’t chop the dates. Their texture was unpleasant in the finished dish. The food processor is the best bet. And be sure to check your dates for pits.
1½ hrs
30 min active, plus cooling
Ingredients
-
8
ounces pitted dates (about 1½ cups)
-
1
cup brewed coffee
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the middle position. Lightly coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with butter and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the dates and coffee to a boil. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder, salt and baking soda.
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November 21, 2023
Very good
I love this cake but every time I've brought it to a party or dinner, it gets somewhat neglected. (More for me!) I think because some people aren't used to the more grownup taste of rye flour. I do have a question though: does it matter which variety of dates one uses? Medjool or deglet noor?
January 30, 2023
Loved this cake and so easy to make!
The orange zest gives that extra sophisticated approach to a simple cake!!
Could you exclusively use all purpose flour and omit the rye flour? It's just hard to find rye flour in my location.
Hi Heather -
Rye flour absorbs about 4 times more moisture than wheat flour, so the liquid ingredients would likely have to be adjusted to account for the difference in using all all-purpose flour. We haven't done this testing so we, unfortunately, can't provide those adjustments.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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Dates are my go-to fruit when I crave something sweet but want to steer myself away from eating pastry or cake. A little goes a long way! But sometimes I just can't resist, and I saw this recipe a few weeks before I was to make dinner for friends. It was a big hit. It is dense and rich, but not too sweet. I served it with whipped cream to lighten the richness. People loved it, especially the toffee sauce. In fact, the next time I make it I think I'll double the sauce recipe to save some for topping ice cream.