Toffee Date Cake
Yield: 2 9in cakes
 
Ingredients
  • 10 oz dates (pitted)
  • 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temp
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2½ tsp baking soda
for the toffee sauce:
  • 16 oz unsalted butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter two 9in cake pans and line the bottom of each with parchment.
  2. Add dates to a small pot along with 1½ cups water. Bring this to a boil and let simmer 2-3 minutes, until dates look soft(ish) and skins start to come off.
  3. Pour the dates and water (carefully!) into a food processor and puree until smooth.
  4. Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl once or twice.
  5. Mix in the date puree.
  6. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then, with the mixer on low, add this into the rest of the batter, mixing just until combined.
  7. Divide the batter between your two prepared cake pans and spread it evenly out the the edges of the pan.
  8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the center of each cake feels set or a cake tester comes out clean.
  9. While cakes are baking, make the toffee sauce: combine ingredients in a pot set over medium heat. Cook until everything is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
  10. When cakes are done, carefully flip each out (onto your hand or a large plate) and remove the parchment before putting the cake back into the pan topside down.
  11. Use a fork to poke lots of holes in the bottoms of each cake before pouring on some of the toffee sauce. Spread it to the edges so all of the cake gets a good soaking and once what you have poured on has been absorbed, add some more - I like to leave ½ - 1 cup of the sauce to pour over my cake once they are stacked and on my cake platter (for that irresistible drippy effect).
  12. Allow cakes to cool and soak in the sauce for at least 30min (or a few hours).
  13. When ready to serve, turn one cake out onto your cake plate. For the second cake, I find it useful to use a spatula or something similar to help get it out of the pan and lowered onto the first cake rather than attempting to just flip it out.
  14. Pour the rest of the toffee sauce over top spreading it to the edges so it drips down the sides.
Recipe by Eat Some Wear Some at https://eatsomewearsome.com/sticky-toffee-date-cake/