Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding is the dessert I love to order when we're out, but I always end up a bit disappointed because there is either not enough sauce, the cake is too dense or not sticky enough. Even though it doesn't contain chocolate (and I love chocolate) it is the sweet treat you want at the end of a meal.

The sticky sauce is a must (but the cake is lovely without)

I love recipes where they have such a simple list of ingredients. This is so similar to any number of cake recipes, and doesn't contain any spicing, but the treacle does all of the hard work for you.

The sugar can all go together as it is blended together

The batter is easy enough to make with the only semi-rule that you pop it in the oven as soon as you can after adding the dates (the bicarb will react with the rest of the mixture to release bubbles which you want to happen in the oven).

You can make this thin or thick depending on the pan size

Once the cake is cooked put lots of toothpick holes in it to allow the cake to soak up the sauce.

The holes are optional but great

The sauce is super easy to make so while the cake is cooking you can make it and then it'll be ready for when the cake comes out all warm.

Once the sauce is added leave some time for the cake to absorb it

I discovered through my researching this recipe that although the recipes seemingly vary a lot, they all a few ratios in common. It meant I could alter my recipe to adapt the flavours that I love. I didn't want it too rich in caramel so used light brown sugar, but if you want a really deep molasses flavour use dark brown sugar. It had the perfect lightness for the sponge so that you don't feel heavy after eating it.

Non-negotiable

Ratio - compare the liquid to flour ratio. Always make sure that there is 50g/mL more liquid to flour. If you compare recipes the ratio of butter, milk and sugar, they're a lot less important.
Treacle - although dark brown sugar contains molasses, for this recipe you need the extra kick of treacle. It lasts a long time once opened so don't worry about not using it. I tend to open it in autumn and I'll have finished my tin by the end of winter.

Variation

You can replace some of the dates with nuts if you want that crunch inside your cake. Chocolate chips would also work (but in this instance I feel they'd be too much for this recipe).

As mentioned above, it's all about the liquid to flour ratio, so you can use all of the usual substitutes to eggs (apple sauce, bananas etc.). Bananas would work especially well due to how well they cope under the depth of molasses.

The sauce can be infinitely varied. Instead of vanilla you can use any flavour extract you want to create a different taste. You could even add a bit of alcohol if you're that way inclined.

Cooking tips

Don't overmix your cake batter. It's as simple as that. You can mix the liquid mixture as much as you want, but as soon as you add the flour, stir as little as you can get away with before putting immediately into the oven.

Cook the sauce on a medium heat. If it cooks on too high of a heat it could quite easily burn and be really bitter. Also, it very well may overthicken and not be a sauce anymore.