Sticky Toffee Pudding

I had so much fun making this.  I feel like I haven't made a dessert in awhile and this recipe was kind of tricky for several reasons...  First, there were a lot of steps to it and a lot of components that had to come together in order to make it all work.  Secondly, this recipe is the "real deal" as it were because the measurements are done almost entirely by weight.  The other really neat thing about this dessert is that it's a layered dessert in the sense that any one of the components on their own taste OK, though slightly off.  The cake is slightly too bland, the custard slightly too sweet, the toffee slightly too dense...  It's not until all of the individual elements are put all together that the dish comes together and it all just works so brilliantly.  The final dessert is so dead-on to what the original tastes like, it makes it all that much more satisfying.

Just a few notes on how I prepared it...  Firstly, if you don't have a scale to measure ingredient weights with, online you will find conversions from weight to cups.  While it may change the composition of what you're cooking ever so slightly, it shouldn't be so dramatic so as to ruin the recipe.  Also, you're supposed to use a mini bundt cake pan for the cakes themselves.  While I have just such a pan, I never use it and couldn't find it until (quite conveniently) the cakes were all in the oven.  While this doesn't make the cake bad at all, I do highly recommend the mini bundt cake pans for this recipe.  Served as I did, the cake in the center is very dense.  The bundt pan will remove some of that center density, cook the cake faster, and allow for more of that lovely texture around the edges of the cake.  I also left out the dates because, for some odd reason, I couldn't find any suitable for cooking that weren't very expensive.  No changes need to be made if the dates are left out (you keep the water, or at least I did), and I'm sure if you would like you can substitute for raisins or a similar dried fruit.  Just know though that what gives the cake its color and makes it a pudding cake is the dates, so it's not as authentic.  And though I haven't had a chance to reach out and confirm this yet, but I believe that while my recipe calls for regular sugar in the cake, it actually should be brown sugar.  I've contacted Disney for clarification so I will change it, if appropriate.  Also, and I can't stress this enough, really grease and flour the baking dish very well.  This is a dense, moist cake and if you don't grease the pan, it will not release well at all.  The sauces are fairly standard, the only one giving me trouble would be the custard which, had I to do over again, I would have cooked longer and allowed to cool longer.  What can I say?  I was in a rush.  

I promise, anybody who is willing to try this one out will be rewarded with a spectacular dessert.  Don't be discouraged or worried if the cake or sauces taste slightly lackluster on their own...  The sweet custard will bring the cake alive and the toffee coating will look, and taste, gorgeous as well.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

As is served at Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room, England Pavilion, EPCOT

 

°o°  12 ounces dates, chopped and blanched
°o°  8 ounces hot water

°o°  2 tsp vanilla bean (1 tbl vanilla extract)

°o°  2 tsp baking soda

°o°  4 oz unsalted butter

°o°  12 oz sugar

°o°  2 eggs

°o°  1 pound all-purpose flour

°o°  2 tsp baking powder
°o°  1/4 tsp salt 

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop dates and add to hot water.  Stir in vanilla and baking soda, set aside.  

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar using a blender.  Add eggs, one at a time, on low speed, stirring only until combined.  Slowly add half of the flour, all of the baking powder, salt, and reserved liquid mixture.  Mix until combined.  Once combined, gently fold in by hand the remaining flour.  

Grease mini bunt pans and fill with mixture about halfway.  Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the cakes are golden and spring back when touched.

While cakes are baking, prepare the sauces.

Custard Sauce ~

°o°  8 egg yolks

°o°  3 oz powdered sugar

°o°  1 vanilla bean (or one tbl vanilla extract)

°o°  1/2 pint heavy cream

°o°  up to 1/2 pint milk, as needed
 

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a heat safe bowl until very well blended.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, scrape the sides of the vanilla pod into the cream, adding the pod as well, and bring to a boil. Set aside.

Sit the heat safe bowl containing the eggs over a pan of hot or boiling water and whisk the warm cream into the egg yolks.  As the egg yolks cook, the custard will thicken.  If the sauce is too thick, or you prefer a more watery sauce, add milk until achieving the desired consistency. Stir constantly until the custard starts to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove bowl from heat.  Remove vanilla pod from the custard.  Allow the sauce to cool, stirring occasionally, to prevent a skin from forming.

Butter Rum Toffee Sauce~

°o°  1 oz butter

°o°  4 oz heavy cream

°o°  3 ox brown sugar

°o°  1/2 oz dark rum 

In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add sugar and cream, bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and add rum, stirring until is incorporated. Note: for a thicker, more candy-like sauce, leave out the cream.

To Assemble~ 

Spoon custard sauce onto the bottom of a plate.  Top with the cake, then glaze with the butter rum toffee sauce.  Drizzle toffee sauce over custard sauce for decoration.  Serve warm or cooled to room temperature, depending on tastes.

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