Ingredients
- Sticky Toffee Sauce:
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (or Lyle's Golden Syrup)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- salt (a pinch)
- Brown Sugar Date Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups pitted dates, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
Directions
-
Make the sauce: in a saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
-
Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
-
Remove from heat and set aside (the sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated, covered, for up to a day; reheat before using).
-
Make the cake: position oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 350°; generously grease the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, dates, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over med-high heat, then remove from heat and set aside to cool completely; remove cinnamon when the sauce is cool.
-
In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine; set aside.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at med-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
-
Gradually add the brown sugar; beat at high speed until light, about 3 minutes.
-
Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
-
Beat in the vanilla; decrease speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the cooled date mixture in two additions and mixing just until blended.
-
Scrape batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
-
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until it is golden brown and a pick comes out clean.
-
Using a bamboo skewer, poke holes all over the top of cake at 1 inch intervals (leave the oven on).
-
Pour about 2 cups of the sticky toffee sauce onto the top of the cake, distributing it evenly; reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
-
Return cake to oven; bake another 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
-
Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool for about 30 minutes.
-
There should be some sauce on top of the cake.
-
Invert a large cake plate (preferably with a lip on it to contain any dripping sauce) over the cake.
-
Very carefully, using pot holders if the pan is still hot, invert the cake onto the plate.
-
Sprinkle the top of the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar.
-
Reheat the reserved sticky toffee sauce; serve slices of cake drizzled with warm sauce.