Sticky Toffee Pudding

by Rose Levy Beranbaum
from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes
(John Wiley & Sons, 2009)
Serves 12

Jenn Giblin, pastry chef of Blue Smoke, came up with this stellar version of sticky toffee pudding. She uses stout beer, giving it the most compelling flavor of any I have tasted. The cake, which in England is referred to as a pudding, dissolves in your mouth. The toffee sauce is the ideal accompaniment; it absorbs deliciously about an eighth inch into the top of the cake.

An additional and unusual accompaniment, from pastry chef Letty Flatt, is vanilla ice cream flavored with root beer extract.—Rose Levy Beranbaum

convert Ingredients
For the batter
1 cup stout beer, preferable Guinness extra stout
1 teaspoon baking soda
About 6 large dates, pitted
6 tablespoons unsalted butter [65F° to 75°F (19C° to 23°C)]
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (sifted into the cup and leveled off) bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the butterscotch toffee sauce
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, preferable Muscovado
1 vanilla bean
16 tablespoons unsalted butter [65F° to 75°F (19C° to 23°C)]
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the pecan and crème fraîche topping
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
3/4 cup crème fraîche, lightly whipped

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Method
1. Prepare one 9 by 13-inch baking pan, bottom coated with solid shortening, lined with parchment (no need to coat the parchment or sides). Have ready a baking sheet, lined with plastic wrap and coated with nonstick cooking spray plus a baking sheet or cutting board.

2. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for at least 20 minutes. [If using a Pyrex or dark pan, bake at 300°F (150°C)].

Prepare the dates
1. In a small saucepan, bring the beer to the boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will fizz up a lot. Pour the beer mixture over the pitted dates. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Remove the dates to a food processor and add a little of the beer mixture. Process until a paste is formed. Gradually add the rest of the liquid through the feed tube. The mixture will be very smooth, dark, and glossy. Scrape it into a bowl and keep it covered until ready to use.

Make the batter and bake the cake
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture may appear curdled, but after adding the flour, it will be smooth.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half the date mixture and mix just until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining date mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the batter is uniform in color and no streaks remain.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with an offset spatula. The pan will be about one-third full.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the pan halfway, and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until a wire cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

5. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto the prepared baking sheet. Reinvert it onto the second sheet or cutting board. Serve at once or reheat for 5 minutes in a 350°F (175ºC) oven. The cake will be about 1 1/4 inches at the sides and 1 1/2 inches in the center.

Make the butterscotch toffee sauce
1. While the cake is baking, make the toffee sauce. In a small saucepan, place the brown sugar. With a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar. Rub the seeds in with your fingers. Remove and reserve the pod. With a silicone spatula, stir in the butter.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and the reserved vanilla pod. The mixture will be slightly grainy but will become totally smooth on standing. Reheat, if necessary, and remove the vanilla pod before serving.

Make the pecan topping
1. Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. Break or chop them coarsely and set aside.

Complete the sticky toffee pudding pudding
1. Cut the sticky toffee pudding into thirds the long way and fourths the short way. Set each portion on a serving plate. Pour 3 tablespoons of the toffee sauce on top of each serving, allowing it to cascade over the sides and pool onto the plate. Sprinkle the lightly toasted pecan pieces over billowy dollops of crème fraîche.

Variation:  individual sticky toffee puddings
Bake as individual puddings in small ramekins or brioche molds filled about half full. (Using 3/4-cup ramekins will yield 12 puddings; the standard 1/2-cup brioche mold will yield 18 puddings.)

Notes: If measuring rather than weighing, pour the beer carefully against the side of the measuring cup to prevent foaming. If there is some foam, allow it to settle so you can get an accurate measure.

If you desire more texture, reserve two of the dates and pulse them in, after you have processed the date mixture, until only small pieces remain.

Recipe © 2009 Cordon Rose, LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.