Description
A warm, spiced gingerbread cake soaked in rich toffee sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This comforting dessert is perfect for cold nights and festive gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup chopped dates (packed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (for sauce)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for sauce)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (for sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix chopped dates with baking soda and pour boiling water over them. Let sit to soften.
- In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk flour with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir the date mixture (including water) into the wet mix, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While baking, make the toffee sauce: heat cream, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Poke holes in the warm cake and pour half the sauce over. Let soak for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with remaining toffee sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Use fresh spices for the boldest flavor.
- Let the cake cool slightly before slicing to help it set.
- The toffee sauce thickens more as it cools.
- You can prepare the cake and sauce ahead and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 40g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: gingerbread pudding, sticky toffee, holiday dessert, Christmas pudding, spiced cake