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Sticky toffee loaf cake with glossy toffee sauce dripping over two cut slices on a dark slate board.

Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake with Medjool Dates and Brown Butter Toffee Sauce

A one-tin sticky toffee loaf made with Medjool dates and finished with a quick brown butter toffee sauce. Slices well, freezes well, and reheats beautifully.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the date cake
  • 200 g Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped about 10 large dates
  • 180 ml boiling water
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda added to the soaking water
  • 80 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 160 g dark muscovado sugar or dark brown soft sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200 g self-raising flour or plain flour plus 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
For the brown butter toffee sauce
  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g dark muscovado sugar
  • 120 ml double cream (heavy cream)
  • 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt optional but recommended

Method
 

Soak the dates and prep
  1. Heat the oven to 170 C / 340 F fan-assisted (or 180 C / 355 F conventional). Grease a 900 g loaf tin and line with a parchment strip that overhangs the two long sides.
  2. Place the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water, add the bicarbonate of soda, and stir once. Leave to soak for 10 to 12 minutes until the dates are completely soft.
  3. Mash the soaked date mixture with a fork until it forms a rough, dark paste. A few small lumps are fine.
Make the cake batter
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and muscovado sugar together with a hand mixer or wooden spoon for 2 minutes until lightened and creamy.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Fold in the self-raising flour and salt with a spatula until just combined - don't overmix.
  4. Add the date paste and fold it through the batter until evenly distributed. The batter will turn a deep brown color and look quite loose. That's correct.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
  2. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top is browning too fast after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the tin.
  3. Rest the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack.
Make the toffee sauce
  1. Melt the butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes until the butter turns golden and smells nutty. You'll see small brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan.
  2. Add the muscovado sugar and stir to combine. Pour in the cream and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
  3. Remove from heat, stir in the flaky salt if using, and let the sauce cool for 2 minutes before serving. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
Serve
  1. Slice the warm loaf and arrange on plates. Pour the toffee sauce over each slice generously. Serve with vanilla ice cream, clotted cream, or creme fraiche alongside.

Notes

The loaf keeps better than most cakes because the date paste actively retains moisture - day two is often better than day one. Make the toffee sauce fresh each time you serve, it only takes five minutes.