Delia Smith Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Delia Smith’s sticky toffee pudding finishes under the grill, and that is the detail most recipes leave out. Chopped dates are soaked in boiling water with bicarbonate of soda, folded into a light sponge with 75g (3 oz) butter and 150g (5 oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar), baked at 180°C (350°F) for 30 to 40 minutes, then covered in a dark muscovado toffee sauce and grilled until it bubbles, serving 6.

I always ordered this in restaurants and never thought to make it at home. When I found Delia’s recipe, I realised it is really just a date cake in a tray with sauce poured over the top. The grill step at the end is what turns it from a plain sticky date pudding into something that tastes like it came out of a proper kitchen.

Try More Pudding Recipes:

• All Pudding Recipes
• Eve’s Pudding
• Bread and Butter Pudding
• Rice Pudding

What Does the Grill Actually Do?

Most sticky toffee pudding recipes just pour sauce over a sponge and serve it. Delia’s method puts the whole thing under a hot grill for about a minute, which forces the sauce into the top layer of the sponge and caramelises the sugar on the surface. You get a thin, bubbling crust on top with soft, soaked cake underneath.

I tried it once without the grill step to save time. The sauce just sat on the surface and ran off when I cut into it. Under the grill, it fuses with the sponge and stays put. It takes sixty seconds and it is the whole point of Delia’s version.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Ingredients

The Sponge:

• 175g (6 oz) fresh dates, stoned and chopped finely
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coffee essence (optional)
• 175ml (6 fl oz) boiling water
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 75g (3 oz) butter, softened
• 150g (5 oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 175g (6 oz) self-raising flour, sifted

The Toffee Sauce:

• 175g (6 oz) dark muscovado sugar
• 110g (4 oz) butter
• 6 tbsp double cream (heavy cream)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

How To Make Delia Smith Sticky Toffee Pudding

1. Soak the dates: Put the chopped dates, vanilla extract, and coffee essence into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over them and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Leave for 15 minutes so the dates soften. Do not drain the water.
2. Cream the butter: Set the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F). Grease a shallow 28cm x 18cm (11 x 7 in) baking dish. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Mix the batter: Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing in a spoonful of flour with each bit to stop it curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour, then stir in the soaked date mixture, liquid and all. The batter will be very loose and runny.
4. Bake the sponge: Pour the batter into the dish and spread it flat. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is springy and firm when you press it.
5. Make the toffee sauce: While the sponge bakes, put the muscovado sugar, butter, and half the cream in a pan. Heat gently until the sugar melts and the butter blends in. Let it bubble for about 3 minutes, then take it off the heat and stir in the rest of the cream and the vanilla.
6. Pour the sauce: Take the sponge out of the oven and turn the grill (broiler) to high. Pour the warm toffee sauce over the hot pudding, spreading it right to the edges.
7. Grill until it bubbles: Put the dish under the hot grill for about a minute. Watch it closely: you want the sauce to bubble and go slightly darker, but not burn. Serve straight away with cold double cream.

Why Does the Batter Look So Runny?

The date water goes into the batter and makes it look far too thin. This is normal. The high moisture is what keeps the sponge soft inside while it bakes, almost steaming itself in the oven. If you made the batter thicker by leaving the liquid out, the sponge would come out dry and heavy.

Delia also says to chop the dates finely rather than blending them. Chopped dates give you little pockets of soft fruit through the sponge. Blended dates turn the whole thing a flat brown colour with no texture, and you lose that sticky chew that makes this pudding what it is.

Making It Ahead for a Crowd

Bake the sponge up to a day before and keep it covered at room temperature. When you are ready to serve, make fresh toffee sauce, pour it over the cold sponge, and warm the whole dish in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 15 minutes before doing the grill step. This is how I do it for Christmas dinner because the oven is always full of other things.

It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days with the sauce on, and you can freeze the sponge without sauce for up to a month. The chocolate bread and butter pudding is another good make-ahead option if you want something rich that reheats well.

FAQs

More Recipes To Try:

• Summer Fruit Pudding
• Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
• Christmas Pudding
• Sticky Gingerbread Puddings
• Little Sticky Toffee Puddings

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 580 kcal
• Fat: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 78g
• Protein: 5g
• Dietary Fibre: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (serves 6).