Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding
A plant-based twist on a classic bake, this sticky toffee pudding from The Little Book of Vegan Bakes makes an impressive dessert.
From the book
The Little Book of Vegan Bakes
Discover 80 plant-based recipes for the beginner to the experienced baker
From cakes to cookies, there is no compromising on taste or texture
Learn to expand your skill-set with step-by-step guides to creating crunchy honeycomb, or luscious chocolate ganache
Introduction
The best way to finish off a meal. My recipe has lots of ingredients you’d expect to see in a traditional sticky toffee pudding, with added spices for warmth. Drench it in my rich caramel sauce and get stuck in!
Ingredients
| For the sponge: | |
|---|---|
| 150g (⅔ cup) | dates, de-stoned |
| 480ml (2 cups) | dairy-free milk |
| 2 tsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 425g (3⅓ cups plus 1 tbsp) | self-raising flour |
| 440g (2 cups plus 3 tbsp) | caster sugar |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 1 tsp | bicarbonate of soda |
| 2 tsp | ground cinnamon |
| 1 tsp | ground ginger |
| 120ml (½ cup) | sunflower oil |
| 2 tbsp | black treacle |
| 245g (1 cup) | caramel sauce |
| For the caramel sauce: | |
| 180g (¾ cup plus 2½ tbsp) | caster sugar |
| 60g (¼ cup) | dairy-free cream |
| 60ml (¼ cup) | dairy-free milk |
Essential kit
You will need: a deep 23cm (9in) square tin.
Method
For the sponge:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a deep 23cm (9in) square tin with greaseproof paper. Place the de-stoned dates in a bowl of hot water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Once soaked, drain them and then place them in a food processor or a blender and whizz up until soft and paste-like. Then, set aside.
In a bowl, whisk the milk with the apple cider vinegar until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle – this creates a vegan buttermilk. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well to combine.
Add the oil to the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture and the treacle to the dry ingredients and mix. Fold in the dates.
Pour the batter into the lined tin. Make sure to tap the tin on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Place the tin in the centre of the oven and bake for 28–30 minutes. You will know it’s done when it is springy to the touch and a knife or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin on a cooling rack while you make the caramel sauce.
For the caramel sauce:
Get all your ingredients ready before you start. Place the caster sugar into a medium-sized pan over a low–medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or whisk for 5–8 minutes until the sugar Make sure it doesn’t burn.
When the sugar has completely melted and is golden, turn off the heat. Leave for a few seconds, then carefully add the cream and immediately stir It will steam and bubble, but keep stirring.
When the caramel starts to cool down, stir in the milk. Place the pan back over a low–medium heat and bring it back to the boil. It will begin to bubble – keep stirring for another 1–2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl. Once cool, place in the fridge to set. It will thicken as it cools.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly before serving, then drizzle over the sponge and enjoy.
Store any leftover sponge in a sealed container in the fridge. Best enjoyed within a few days. You can store the leftover caramel sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few weeks.
Holly’s tip: This makes a great second-day pudding – eat cold or warm it up in the oven or microwave.
