Sticky date cake with toffee sauce

This rich, sticky date cake drowned in the silky caramel sauce, with its beautiful warm–cold contrast, is a dessert that I think few people can say no to. It’s a pure, sweet comfort and the perfect finish to any winter meal.

Credit: Page Street Publishing / Ana Rusu

• serves

  9

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

For this recipe, use tasty Medjool dates and good quality plant-based vanilla ice cream that uses vanilla bean.

Ingredients

Toffee sauce

• ⅔ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
• ¾ cup + 2 tsp (200 ml) vegan cooking cream
• ⅓ cup (85 g) vegan butter
• 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Date cake

• 1½ tbsp + 1 tsp (15 g) cocoa powder, divided
• 1⅓ cups (165 g) whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup (40 g) almond meal (ground almonds)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2½ tbsp (24 g) ground flax seeds
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• 280 g (10 oz) Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 100 g (½ cup) vegan butter, softened
• ¼ cup (60 g) muscovado sugar (see Note)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
• Vegan vanilla ice cream, for serving

Cooling time: 15-20 minutes.

Instructions

1. To make the toffee sauce, place the light brown sugar in a saucepan and cook on low heat, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Do not stir. When you see patches of melted sugar, slightly shake the pan so the dry sugar mixes with the melted sugar. Be patient with the process of making the sauce. Melted sugar can very easily burn, so it’s better to supervise the entire time and work on low heat and with vigilant care. When the sugar starts bubbling and gets slightly darker in color, add the cooking cream and stir. Be careful as the mixture will get very bubbly at this point.
2. Simmer on low-medium for 1 additional minute. The sauce should look creamy and slightly brown and at this point it will be runny. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool down and thicken, then add the vegan butter, vanilla and salt and stir until the butter has completely melted. Transfer the Toffee Sauce into a bowl with a pouring spout and set aside to cool. For an easy alternative to making the Toffee Sauce, see Note.
3. To make the date cake, preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F), set an oven rack in the middle position and grease a 20 cm (8 inch) square cake pan with vegan butter. Dust with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder and set aside.
4. In a bowl, mix the wheat flour, ground almonds, remaining cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
5. In a small cup, mix the ground flaxseeds with the water and let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes, until thickened.
6. To a high-speed blender, add the pitted dates and almond milk. Blend well until a smooth paste has formed. Add the vegan butter, muscovado sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and flaxseed mixture to the date paste. Blend until well combined.
7. Pour the date mixture into the flour mixture and incorporate gently, using a spatula. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. After the first 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 175°C (370°F) and bake for the remaining 15 minutes, until slightly darker on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Slice the cake into rectangles while still warm and place on individual plates. Add one scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on each slice and drizzle about 2 tablespoons (40 ml) of toffee sauce on top of each serving. Enjoy right away.

Notes

•You can substitute dark brown sugar for the Muscovado sugar.

• An easy alternative method of making the Toffee Sauce is simply cooking the sugar, cream and butter together over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until slightly darker in color. The toffee will thicken when cooled.

• If preparing the cake ahead of time, remove the cake from the pan and store in an airtight container. Slice and then warm each piece in the microwave for about 30 seconds before serving. You can also gently warm the toffee sauce before using to make it more pourable.

Recipe from New Vegan Baking by Ana Rusu, published by Page Street Publishing Co. (RRP PB $44.99). Photography by Ana Rusu.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

For this recipe, use tasty Medjool dates and good quality plant-based vanilla ice cream that uses vanilla bean.