toffee pudding

This super moist and decadent dessert is a British classic. The cake is filled with sweet Medjool dates and has a wonderful caramel flavour. Drenched in a rich and creamy toffee sauce and sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt, this dessert is a real treat.

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Preparation for a 23 cm bundt cake tin (adapted by Jamie Oliver, Comfort Food)

• 4 tea bags “Earl Grey”
• 450g fresh Medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 170g butter, at room temperature
• 340g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 170g sugar
• 170g brown sugar, if available muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs

For the caramel sauce:

• 125g unsalted butter
• 70g sugar
• 70g brown sugar, if available muscovado sugar
• 25ml dark rum
• 150ml crème double
• coarse salt

Grease the tin and sprinkle it lightly with flour.

1. Put the tea bags into a pot, cover with 3dl boiling water and leave to steep for 3 – 4 minutes.
2. Stone the dates and put them into a food processor or a high bowl if using a hand blender, and add the cinnamon and nutmeg
3. Remove the tea bags and pour the tea over the dates. Leave them to soak for 10 minutes, then blitz to a purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
4. Preheat the oven to 180° C
5. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together.
6. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then, stir in the flour and baking powder and fold in the puréed dates.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin, then bake for about 50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. For the caramel sauce melt the butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add both the sugars and carefully add the rum and crème double. Bring to the boil, then simmer for around 10 minutes, or until a nice deep golden colour.
9. As soon as the pudding is ready, flip out onto a platter and brush all over with enough sauce to form a delicate, crispy surface but also keep your sponge nice and bouncy. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, and serve with a jug of sauce and crème double.

Happy baking!