Sticky toffee pudding is one of those desserts that feels like a warm hug on a cold day. It’s soft, sweet, and covered in a rich toffee sauce that soaks right into the cake.
This version is completely eggless, so it works great for anyone who avoids eggs or simply ran out of them. You won’t miss them at all, I promise.
The secret to the soft texture comes from soaked dates, which also give the cake its deep, caramel like flavor. It’s easier to make than you might think.
The toffee sauce is the real star here. You pour half of it over the warm cake so it sinks in, then save the rest to spoon over each serving.
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a dessert that everyone at the table will ask for again.
Why You’ll Love It
Deep Caramel Flavor – Soft dates give the cake a naturally deep caramel flavor, while brown sugar and vanilla make every bite warmly sweet.
Moist Toffee Soak – Warm toffee sauce soaks into the cake, creating a moist center with a glossy, buttery finish.
Tender Date Texture – The chunky date puree adds gentle texture, keeping each square tender instead of plain or crumbly.
Beautifully Indulgent – It looks wonderfully indulgent, with golden cake, shiny sauce, and a beautiful contrast against vanilla ice cream.
Ingredient List
For the Cake
- 8 oz Pitted Dates, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 3 tbsp Plain Yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Toffee Sauce
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8×8 inch baking dish. Combine the chopped dates, boiling water, and baking soda in a bowl and soak for 10 minutes, then mash into a chunky puree.
Step 2
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3
Beat the softened butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the yogurt and vanilla.
Step 4
Stir in the date mixture with all its soaking liquid, then fold in the dry ingredients just until combined.
Step 5
Spread the batter into the dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed.
Step 6
While the cake bakes, make the sauce: simmer the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt for 4-5 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened, then stir in the vanilla.
Step 7
Poke the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour half the toffee sauce over it. Let it soak in for 10 minutes.
Step 8
Cut into squares and serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce spooned over the top – a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it perfect.
Tips
Prepare The Dates Properly
Chop the dates into small pieces before soaking so they soften evenly and blend into the cake batter. After 10 minutes, mash them into a chunky puree rather than a completely smooth paste.
Keep all of the soaking liquid, since it gives the cake its soft texture and helps the baking soda work. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes if it is very hot before adding it to the butter mixture.
Use Softened Butter
Let the butter for the cake soften at room temperature until it presses easily, but do not melt it. Soft butter blends with the brown sugar more evenly and helps create a lighter cake.
Beat the butter and brown sugar for the full 2 minutes, then mix in the yogurt and vanilla until smooth. This gives the batter a more even texture before the dates and flour are added.
Mix The Batter Gently
Fold the flour mixture into the date mixture just until you no longer see dry flour. The batter will be thick, so use a spatula and scrape along the bottom of the bowl as you fold.
Do not keep stirring once the flour is incorporated. Too much mixing can make the pudding dense instead of soft and tender.
Try These Next
Questions You Might Have
Why do the dates need to soak with baking soda?
The boiling water softens the dates so they blend into the batter, while the baking soda helps break them down and keeps the cake tender.
After soaking, mash the dates into a chunky puree so small pieces remain for extra moisture and flavor.
Eggless Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish. Combine the chopped dates, boiling water, and baking soda in a bowl and soak for 10 minutes, then mash into a chunky puree.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, then beat in the yogurt and vanilla.
- Stir in the date mixture with all its soaking liquid, then fold in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spread the batter into the dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed.
- While the cake bakes, make the sauce: simmer the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt for 4-5 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened, then stir in the vanilla.
- Poke the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour half the toffee sauce over it. Let it soak in for 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares and serve warm with the remaining toffee sauce spooned over the top - a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it perfect.