- Dessert
- Make-ahead
- Oven
- Stovetop
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 8 oz
pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
- 1 cup
boiling water
- 1 tsp
baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp
baking powder
- 1/2 tsp
salt
- 6 tbsp
unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup
packed dark brown sugar
- 2
eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp
vanilla extract
For the toffee sauce
- 1 cup
packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup
unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup
heavy cream
- 1 tsp
vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp
salt
To serve
- 1 cup
heavy cream or lightly whipped cream
- Vegetarian
Contains milk (unsalted butter, heavy cream), eggs (eggs) and wheat (all-purpose flour).
Not checked: heavy cream or lightly whipped cream.
Diets guessed by AI from the ingredients, not checked.
Steps
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×9-inch baking pan.
350°F
- Step 2
Put the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and stir in the baking soda. Let sit 15 minutes, until the dates are very soft. Mash with a fork into a rough, lumpy paste.
15 min, hands-off
- 8 oz pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Step 4
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together with a whisk or mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. The batter may look slightly curdled; that's fine.
3 min
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Step 5
Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then stir in the mashed dates and their liquid. The batter will be loose. Pour into the buttered pan and smooth the top.
- Step 6
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is domed and springy and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
38 min, hands-off · 350°F
- Step 7
While the pudding bakes, make the sauce: combine the brown sugar, butter and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then simmer, stirring often, until glossy and slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt.
10 min
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Step 8
When the pudding comes out, poke it all over with a skewer or thin knife, about 30 holes. Spoon about half the warm sauce evenly over the top and let it soak in for 10 minutes.
10 min, hands-off
- Step 9
Cut into 9 squares and serve warm, with the remaining toffee sauce poured over and cream alongside. If the sauce has cooled, rewarm it gently over low heat.
- 1 cup heavy cream or lightly whipped cream
Where it’s from
Written by AI from an idea
Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026