Gluten free sticky toffee pudding cake

I’ve been at it again, rustling up a gluten free version of another delicious classic. This time I’m bringing you a rather wonderful recipe for a sticky toffee pudding cake.

This sticky toffee pudding cake is the second recipe that I’ve tested (and converted to gluten free) from the fabulous ‘easy comfort food’ book (Ryland Peters & Small). Such a great book with so many tempting recipes, that I’m hoping to slowly work my way through. 

My mum used to make a great sticky toffee pudding. I do have the recipe she used and I think in time I will let you have that too. But for now, I liked that this sticky toffee pudding from the easy comfort food book, is a ‘cake’ and can simply be enjoyed with a cuppa. Of course, that’s not to say it can’t be jazzed up a little and enjoyed as a pudding too.

This recipe was a delightful reminder that baking can sometimes feel like pure magic. As I’d never have thought, that the runny batter I poured into the cake tin would transform into such a delicious aromatic cake.

Ingredients

For the cake
150g (5oz) *dried dates, chopped (ready chopped ones like these are great)
1 teaspoon *bicarbonate of soda
200ml hot strong black coffee (fresh coffee is best)
150g (5oz) gluten free self-raising flour or mix (I used ASDA free from)
50g (2oz) unsalted butter, cubed
50g (2oz) *walnuts, chopped
200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg 
1 teaspoon *vanilla extract

For the topping
50g (2oz) *walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
25g (1oz) unsalted butter, cubed
4 tablespoons light muscovado sugar (or soft brown sugar) 
4 tablespoons double cream (whipping cream would also work)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ Gas 4/160C Fan.

Lightly grease and line a 9×9 inch square tin.

Place the chopped dates in a large bowl, add the bicarbonate of soda and pour over the hot coffee.

In a separate mixing bowl, rub the cubed butter into the gluten free flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the chopped walnuts, sugar and salt to the flour mixture and stir through.

Beat the egg with the vanilla extract and add this to the date and coffee mixture, then pour it into the bowl containing the dry mixture.

Give the mixture a really good stir until all the ingredients are blended. A large metal spoon is all you need for this job.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and slide it gently into the oven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until well risen and firm to touch. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Whilst the cake is cooling crack on with the toffee sauce topping: 

Pop the walnuts and sugar into a pan and heat until lightly toasted. Keep giving the pan a shake so the nuts or sugar don’t burn. Once you are happy with how they are toasted, remove from the heat and set the pan to one side. 

In a separate pan gently heat the butter, sugar and cream.

Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted then increase the heat to allow the mixture to come to the boil. Once bubbling, remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the sauce over the cake and using a round bladed knife spread evenly over the cake.

Sprinkle over the toasted walnuts and allow the cake to cool completely before slicing into squares. 

Recipe notes and suggestions:

The sticky toffee pudding cake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Wrap it well to prevent it from drying out. You are also able to freeze this cake.

Add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to your gluten free self-raising flour if it doesn’t already contain it.

Although the original recipe suggests that this cake is eaten cold. It would be absolutely fine to reheat a slice should you fancy. And for an added treat *ice-cream, cream, *custard would be terrific with this cake!

If you like LOTS of sticky toffee sauce and you fancy a spot more to pour over your finished cake. Simply scale up the quantity of the toffee sauce ingredients.

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Thanks for checking out this gluten free sticky toffee pudding cake recipe. Hope that you give it a go. Any questions please do give me a shout.

For now,
Liz x

*Check this product out to ensure no gluten containing ingredients or ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable’ warnings on the pack. If in doubt leave it out.