This sticky date pudding is made from scratch. The ultra-moist sponge cake with brown sugar and dates is drenched in caramel sauce and served alongside vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This dessert is an old-fashioned comfort food that is easy to prepare and sure to please!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe – a simple, reliable recipe using basic ingredients
- Prepare ahead – Both the puddings as well as the sauce can easily be prepared ahead and then reheated at the time of serving.
- Freezer Friendly – Keep some in the freezer to make the perfect dessert for a last-minute event!
- Individual portions: This recipe is for individual sticky date puddings. It can be made into a single pudding if you prefer (method below).
- Ideal for entertaining! Making individual puddings ensures that they’re already pre-portioned and ready to be served without fuss. They are easy to make but are elegant and decadent. Perfect for any occasion.
- Easy adaptability – Make them in a single mold, muffin tins, cake tins, or ramekins.
- Extra moist and soft.
You will need the following ingredients.
- DatesI highly recommend fresh Medjool dates because of their caramel flavor and dark color. Medjool date adds sweetness, moisture, and richness. You won’t be able to taste the dates in the result if you don’t like them. They are responsible for making the puddings rich, sweet, and moist.
- Baking Soda/Bicarbonate Of Soda -before you bake the dates, they need to be softened. The dates are softened by soaking in a mixture made of bicarb and boiling water. Baking soda is used in puddings and dates to soften them. Make sure the baking soda is up-to-date and that it has not expired. Otherwise, it will be ineffective. Do not substitute baking powder for them; they are different!
- Boiling Water -works together with the bicarb to soften dates. Do not skip this step.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter because you will be adding salt separately to your puddings. Use real butter, not margarine or butter alternatives. Before using the butter, allow it to reach room temperature. Otherwise, it may become lumpy.
- Vanilla — Use vanilla extract instead of vanilla essence, which is artificial.
- Self-raising flour -flour with baking powder already added. The structure of puddings is formed by self-raising flour. You can find it in the baking section of supermarkets. If you cannot find it, you can create your own by mixing two teaspoons of baking powder with every cup of plain flour (all-purpose).
- Egg: one large egg is used as the binding agent. Before using, make sure the egg is at room temperature.
For individual PUDDINGs in MOULDS
The baking time is calculated based on six pudding molds or timbale molds with a half-cup capacity (8cm diameter by 5cm high). You can use any size, but the quantities and baking time may vary.
Add butter to the bottom and sides of the molds and sprinkle them with brown sugar. The excess brown sugar should be tapped out of the molds.
Add the pudding batter, but not more than 2/3 of the way full. Bake until the top is spongy and the wooden skewer in the middle comes clean.
Use a fork or skewer to make holes in the puddings before removing them from the molds. Pour 1-2 tablespoons caramel sauce on top of each Pudding, and let it soak for 5-10 min.
Expert Tips
- This recipe is for individual desserts. It can also be baked in a cake pan lined with baking paper and greased as one dessert. I have included both instructions below. However, depending on the size of the baking pan used, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Chop the dates finely so that they will blend well into the Pudding. After softening, you can mash or mix them in a food processor before adding them to the batter.
- While the oven is pre-heating, add a roasting pan filled with water on the bottom shelf. The puddings will stay moist and pliable in this steamy environment. Keep the water in the hot oven while you bake the puddings.
- Poke holes in the top of the puddings once they have been removed from the over. Pour a small amount of caramel sauce into each Pudding and allow it to soak in the tins for five minutes. This allows the caramel to flow into the cake, making it super moist. Keep extra sauce to serve, of course.
- The puddings, as well as the sauce, may be prepared in advance and reheated just before serving. The puddings will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped.
- The sauce will become thicker if it is refrigerated. However, it will thin when heated either in a microwave or a pan.
- Individual Pudding Molds. My pudding molds measure 8cm in diameter by 5cm in height and have a volume of 1/2 cup. This size yields six individual puddings. You can use any size mold (cooking time may vary); just don’t overfill them. Also, they need space at the top for a sauce to be added at the end.
- Muffin tray puds: this will produce 8-10 small puddings if baked in a cupcake/muffin tray, depending on the size. I baked them in a 1/3 cup tray and got ten puddings. You can use larger trays (baking time will vary).
- Whole Pudding: you may make the batter as an entire pudding to serve. I used a square 20x20cm (8×8 inch) cake tin, which made 9-12 servings, depending on the size you like.
Ingredients
- The pits of 180-gram Medjool dates have been removed, and they have been very finely chopped.
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- Baking soda Bicarb soda
- 60 grams of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 grams of light brown sugar 1 cup
- One teaspoon of vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- One large egg at room temperature
- Table salt, one pinch
- 140 grams self-raising flour, about 3/4 cup
Instructions
- As the oven heats up, place a baking sheet filled with water on the bottom shelf. This will make the puddings nice and steamy.
- Heat the oven to 180degC (356 F) (160degC with fan).
- Cut the dates into pieces that are very fine.
- Add the dates, bicarb/baking powder, and boiling water to a saucepan on low heat. Stirring and bringing to a simmer is the best way to cook dates.
- Turn off the heat after 1-2 minutes. Allow dates to cool and soften for 10 minutes.
- Butter, brown sugar, and vanilla should be placed in a bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with wooden spoons or hand-held beaters until pale and smooth.
- Continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy and incorporated.
- Use a fork to mash the dates or put them in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Fold the flour mixture until it is just combined. Add the dates, salt, and self-raising powder to the butter mixture.