Sticky Toffee Pudding ~ Improved! Again, For Dad's Birthday!

I kept my promise last year, to make an improved version of this dessert for dad but it took one whole year! :D It is always a coincidence that dates come to our house from Dad's bestfiend's son working in Saudi Arabia. This time, they were different. They were so lusciously soft, almost spreadable and very sweet with a caramel-y taste; I'm not sure if these are Medjool dates. This time too, he was the one who requested to turn most of the dates into sticky toffee pudding so he had to stop himself from snacking on them. I could make them days ago but I really intended to make this on his special day. It's his birthday cake this year!





Still all by hand and no measurements! I creamed the butter and dark brown sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs one by one then salt and vanilla extract then the flour with some baking powder. Finally the dates soaked in boiling water with some bicarbonate of soda. I poured the batter in greased and floured 7" cake pan 2.5" in height then it goes straight to my pre-heated clay pot over a wood fire for 1 hour. Yes! 1 whole hour! The cake is pretty thick and you want it to bake long and slow but the secret is in the fire and heat control. First 20 minutes over a roaring flame for maximum spring, next 30 minutes over a medium flame then the final 10 minutes over embers just to dry out the center.



The cake is tall and has a slightly crusty and crispy bottom and sides and a lovely soft, fluffy and moist inside. The greasing and flouring of the cake tin really helped the formation of the slight crust that we love and how it released extremely easily. We can't believe how gorgeous it is, it looked like it came out from an oven!





I served the toffee sauce separately instead of soaking the cake because we want to feel the cake in it's pure state to feel the dates' taste and textures which I left whole. It is really much better because it's really dates bite after bite. I just can't explain it because we really love dates! :P One little change and a whole new dimension in this simple cake.



It's a messy plate I know but you understand me right?! I think this picture says it all!



A simple dinner with livers in cream sauce with either pasta or rice and cold sticky toffee pudding for dessert. I hope you enjoyed this as much as we did. Happy Birthday Daddy!