There are just some things that benefit from being given the royal culinary topping treatment. Corn being turned into Mexican Street Corn. Filet being transformed into Filet Oscar (it didn’t need it, but who’s complaining?). Sticky Toffee Date Cake is incredible—and indulgent enough on its own. But why leave well enough alone? My version is topped with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting that then gets drizzled with the buttery, caramelly toffee sauce. Good luck not eating the whole cake in one sitting.
What to Notice
- I prefer to go with a less-sweet cream cheese frosting for this cake since it’s being topped with an already-sweet toffee sauce. Taste it and tweak until it feels right to you. Add a little more sugar if you’d like it sweeter, or a pinch more salt for more rounded flavor. Also, play with the frosting consistency; this is where the heavy cream comes into play. If you want yours thinned out, add just a splash more until it feels more spreadable.
Servings: 8 Servings
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1/2 lb Medjool dates pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
For The Toffee Sauce
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A pinch of salt
For The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 oz brick of cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by spreading butter around the bottom and edges. Place a round piece of parchment paper at the bottom for extra measure.
- Place chopped dates in a large saucepan with 1 3/4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil and use a wooden spoon to break up the dates a bit. Leave to simmer for a minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the baking soda—this will cause the mixture to bubble up.
- Add the butter and sugar to a mixer and beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, salt, cinnamon and flour until just combined.
- Next, add the warmed date mixture in batches. The mixture will be very watery and that’s ok. Finally, add the baking powder.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Make the Toffee Sauce:
- While the cake is in the oven, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for a couple of minutes until slightly thickened. Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes in the top with a toothpick and drizzle some sauce over top (reserving some sauce for decorating).
Make the Frosting:
- Combine all frosting ingredients and beat with a paddle attachment. Spread the frosting into the cooled cake. Drizzle the remaining toffee sauce over top and serve.
