This is a baked version of sticky toffee pudding — same deeply moist crumb, same toffee-rich sauce, but made as a single round cake rather than individual puddings. It takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work, uses ingredients you likely already have, and the butterscotch sauce comes together while the cake is in the oven. That’s the honest reason to make it on a weeknight.
What makes this version work
Two steps do the real work here. First, simmering the dates until they break down completely — not just softening them, but cooking them into a thick, jammy paste. Second, adding the bicarbonate of soda to that hot date mixture off the heat. The alkaline reaction breaks down the remaining fruit fibres and aerates the paste, so when it folds into the batter, it distributes evenly through the crumb rather than sitting in clumps. The result is a cake that’s genuinely moist all the way through, not just in patches. Skip either step and you get a denser, less even texture. Both take under ten minutes total, so there’s no reason to shortcut them.
If something goes sideways
- The cake is domed and cracked on top: This is usually an oven that runs hot. The outside sets before the centre has risen. Use an oven thermometer if you have one, and check at the 40-minute mark rather than 45.
- The butterscotch sauce is grainy: Sugar crystals didn’t fully dissolve. Return the sauce to low heat and stir continuously for another 2–3 minutes. Don’t rush it with higher heat — that can cause the butter to separate.
- The sauce is too thin even after cooling: It thickens significantly as it cools. Give it 15–20 minutes at room temperature before deciding it needs fixing. If it’s still runny, simmer it gently for a few more minutes to reduce.
- The cake sinks in the middle after coming out of the oven: It was underbaked. The skewer test is the most reliable check — if it comes out with wet batter (not just a few moist crumbs), give it another 5 minutes and test again.
- The date mixture seized or went lumpy when you added the bicarb: That’s normal — it bubbles up fast and looks alarming. Stir quickly with a metal spoon until it settles, then leave it to cool. It will smooth out.
About the ingredients
- Dates: Medjool dates work well because they’re already soft, but standard dried pitted dates (the kind sold in a block or bag) are fine and cheaper. Either way, they get simmered down, so the starting texture doesn’t matter much.
- Self-raising flour: If you only have plain (all-purpose) flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder per 1½ cups of flour. Don’t substitute self-raising flour with baking powder alone — the ratio matters for lift.
- Thickened cream (heavy cream): Don’t swap in light cream or half-and-half for the sauce. The higher fat content is what gives the sauce its body. Pouring cream is too thin and the sauce won’t set properly.
- Caster sugar: Regular granulated sugar works — it just takes slightly longer to cream with the butter. The end result is the same.
Make-ahead notes
The cake keeps well, which makes it a good candidate for baking the night before. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap once fully cooled and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days — bring it back to room temperature before serving. The butterscotch sauce stores in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week; reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until it loosens, or microwave in 20-second bursts. The cake also freezes well: wrap individual slices and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. Freeze the sauce separately — skip the garnish of whipped cream before freezing, not worth the extra dish.
Sticky Date Cake with Butterscotch Sauce
Equipment
- 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin
- Small Saucepan
- Medium saucepan
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1¼ cups dates pitted and chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 7 tablespoons butter softened
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla essence
- 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup soft brown sugar
- ½ cup thickened cream heavy cream
- 7 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides.
- Add the dates and water to a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the bicarbonate of soda — the mixture will bubble up rapidly. Stir quickly with a metal spoon until combined, then set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- While the date mixture cools, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Using a metal spoon or spatula, gently fold the cooled date mixture into the batter until combined. Sift in the self-raising flour and fold through until just combined — avoid over-mixing, which will toughen the cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the butterscotch sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter over low heat. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sugar has fully dissolved — you should not see any sugar crystals remaining.
- Pour in the cream and stir over low heat until well combined.
- Take off heat and set aside to cool.
- To serve as a whole cake, let both the cake and sauce cool until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then pour over the top, letting it drip down the sides. Alternatively, slice the cake and drizzle individual servings with warm sauce. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use a different size cake tin?
Stick with a 20cm (8-inch) round tin if you can. A larger tin will spread the batter too thin and the cake will dry out before the centre sets; a smaller tin risks the centre staying raw while the outside overbakes.
Do I have to let the date mixture cool before adding it to the batter?
Yes — add it hot and you’ll start cooking the eggs when they go in. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough; the mixture doesn’t need to be completely cold, just no longer steaming.
Can I make this without an electric mixer?
You can, but you’ll need to put in real effort creaming the butter and sugar by hand with a wooden spoon for at least 5 minutes until it looks pale and fluffy. Under-creaming is the main risk — the cake will be denser if the mixture isn’t properly aerated at that stage.
How do I know when the butterscotch sauce is ready?
No sugar crystals should be visible and the sauce should look glossy and uniform. The back-of-spoon test is reliable: drag your finger across a spoon coated in sauce — if the line holds cleanly, it’s done.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, but bake in two separate tins rather than one larger one. A single deeper cake won’t bake evenly at this temperature — the outside will be done long before the centre.
Try these next
- Warm and Comforting Classic Apple Crumble
- Hearty Shepherd’s Pie
- Classic European Vanilla Rice Pudding
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Scottish Shortbread Cookies
