Sweet and moist this sticky toffee bundt cake is a deliciously easy twist on a classic British dessert. With date infused cake and an insanely delicious toffee sauce drizzled all over for pure decadence, this easy bundt cake recipe is bound to be a hit with the family whatever the occasion.
Lou’s recipe overview
SKILL: Intermediate
TASTE: Rich, warm toffee with a touch of spice
PROS: That sticky toffee sauce drizzled all over
CONS: Make sure you grease the pan well
Autumn is finally here and with the dark evenings, the leaves under foot and the inevitable rain comes my make favourite baking season of the year!
That’s right, we’re now in for months of comfort bakes as we get take a journey through Halloween, Thanksgiving, if you’re in the US, Bonfire Night and that magical C-word… Christmas!
And this dessert obsessed baker can’t get enough of anything with a touch of warming mixed spice, sweet caramel and rich toffee, with a dose of homemade pumpkin spice in there for good measure!
So as there’s been a chill in the air over the last few days, I decided that there was only one thing to do and take all the flavours of my favourite comfort dessert, sticky toffee pudding, and turn it into an easy cakes that tastes as amazing as it looks.
And that’s what we have here… Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake!
If you want to skip the essential recipe information and top tips then head on down to the printable recipe card.
What is sticky toffee cake?
Without a doubt, sticky toffee pudding is a true classic British dessert and its a perfect accompaniment to cold, cosy evenings!
Sticky toffee pudding is a combination of a moist sponge cake made with dates, which gives it that sweet, rich flavour and its drizzled in a perfect toffee sauce.
While the true origins sticky toffee pudding or STP aren’t clear, it’s fair to say that the village of Cartmel, in the Lake District, has taken the dessert to their hearts and become custodians of this classic.
In fact, since the Cartmel village shop starting selling their version of the dessert in the 1980s, they’ve sold over 10 million.
Ingredients and substitutions
Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment
This sticky toffee bundt cake is made with simple ingredients; there’s nothing fancy here. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this teatime treat…
- Pitted Dates – The dates are very high in sugar which help to sweeten the cake. They are usually only partially dried so before adding to your cake batter soak them in hot water or black tea works well too
- Dark Muscovado Sugar – This gives the cake that lovely deep colour and rich caramel toffee flavour. You can also use a soft light brown sugar or light muscovado sugar instead
- Golden Syrup – If you can’t get Golden Syrup then honey or maple syrup work well too. Alternatively a light corn syrup is just as good
- Self-Raising Flour – I decided to use self-raising flour for this cake which has raising agents already incorporated. If you prefer you can use plain or all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Baking Soda
- Mixed Spice
- Free-range Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Double Cream or Heavy Cream
Recommended ingredients
CONVERT TO CUPS: There is a cup conversion option in the recipe card to convert the ingredients. This is automatic and I can’t guarantee the accuracy. For best baking results, I recommend using digital scales and weighing the ingredients.
Equipment you will need
These are the tools and equipment I use in my kitchen to make this bundt cake…
- Bundt Pan – I love this pan; it’s a simple 7-inch/ 1.25 litre bundt pan that I got from in Aldi years ago; it hasn’t failed me yet. You can find a similar on Amazon.
- Handheld Mixer – You can use a stand mixer if you prefer, but a handheld mixer is perfect and cuts down on the washing up
- Digital Kitchen Scales – These are an absolute must for the perfect bake. I have 2 sets of this Salter scales and love them; they’re relatively cheap and a great investment
- Silicone Pastry Brush – For getting into the details of the bundt pan when you’re greasing the pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
Recommended equipment
TOP TIP: To measure how much cake batter your bundt pan holds, fill it with cups of water and measure how many it takes; this equals to how much cake batter you will need.
How to make sticky toffee bundt cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card
With just a few simple steps you’ll be falling in love in with this sticky toffee bundt cake! Here’s everything you now to do…
Preparing the dates
Before you get started, the first thing you need to do is prep the dates. I recommend using pitted dates, they are easy to get hold off and less faff. And if you want to, you can also skip another step and use chopped dates.
Whichever dates you use, make sure they are pitted and then chopped into pieces, then add them into a small bowl and pour over hot black tea or hot water.
Set the dates aside to soak for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the cake batter.
The sticky toffee cake
Start off combining the eggs, sugar and syrup in a large bowl and whisk together with a hand mixer until the mixture is thick and frothy.
Then melt the butter and slowly pour into the egg mixture, continuing to gently whisk as you do so.
Next up, add a dash of vanilla extract to the mixture, and fold in the soaked dates and any remaining liquid. Make sure everything is well combined; the mixture will feel a little runny but don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal.
Finally sieve together the flour, baking soda and mixed spice and fold in until you have a thick and smooth batter.
TOP TIP: Don’t mess with melted butter and flouring to grease your bundt pan. Use this quick and easy homemade cake release to get into all the nooks and crannies.
Spoon the batter into a greased bundt pan until it is about two-thirds full, then gently level off the top of the cake batter.
Finally, pop the bundt cake in a preheated oven at 180C/ 350F for about 40-45 minutes.
The sticky toffee sauce
This is the easiest sticky toffee sauce you’ll make, and it’s perfect for drizzling over this amazing bundt, dipping doughnuts in or pouring over ice cream.
In a small saucepan, add the cream, muscovado sugar, butter and golden syrup and gently heat until the mix begins to simmer. As it simmers, the toffee sauce will begin to thicken up, turning a deep, rich caramel colour.
When the sauce is thick but still runny, let the sauce cool down slightly before drizzling it all over the top of your bundt cake.
Step by step live video
Tips for success
Although this is an easy cake recipe to make, baking can sometimes be a little challenging. Here are a of my top tips for making this the best bundt cake every time…
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature – This sounds a simple tip, but it makes a lot of difference to the texture of your cake. Having room temperature soft butter, means not only is it easier to cream into the sugar, but it helps incorporate air in the batter helping your cake rise.
- Don’t overfill the Bundt pan – Only fill your cake pan to no more than ⅔s full, you don’t want it overflowing. Also place it on a baking sheet before popping it in the oven just in case. If you have any batter leftover, pop it into cupcake liners for an extra treat.
- Use a quick and easy homemade cake release – Making sure you get into all the nooks of a Bundt pan when you are greasing it can be hit and miss. So ditch the cake spray, and make your own cake release. You’ll be able to see where it is on the pan and it’s so much cheaper! One you’ve tried it, you’ll never use anything else again – it’s a baking miracle!
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes – If the cake is not cool enough when you try to take it out of the pan, it’s still too soft and can break. Also if you leave it in for too long, it can also break as you try to take it out. The sweet spot, is to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
FAQs about sticky toffee bundt cake
This recipe uses a 7-inch Bundt pan, which equates to about 1.25 litres or 6 cups of batter. To scale up the recipe fill your bundt pan, measure the capacity or the number of cups of water it takes to fill it, that will be the same as how much cake batter you’ll need.
Once baked and cooled, the cake is best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. Any left over sticky toffee sauce should be kept in the fridge.
If stored correctly, the cake will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
It is possible to freeze the bundt cake; do this without the sticky toffee sauce. When the cake is completely cool, wrap it well in clingfilm to prevent freezer burn. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Remember to defrost thoroughly before decorating and serving.
More bundt recipes to try
If you liked this sticky toffee Bundt cake recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 150 g Pitted Dates
- 150 ml Black Tea or Hot Water
- 100 g Unsalted Butter Melted
- 150 g Dark Muscovado Sugar or Light Muscovado Sugar
- 2 Eggs Medium
- 2 tbsp Golden Syrup or Light Corn Syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 165 g Self-Raising Flour or Plain Flour with 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Mixed Spice
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
For the Sticky Toffee Sauce
- 100 ml Double Cream or Heavy Cream
- 75 g Dark Muscovado Sugar or Light Muscovado Sugar
- 25 g Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp Golden Syrup or Light Corn Syrup
VIDEO
Instructions
- Prepare the dates: Chop the dates into bite-sized pieces then add into a small heat-proof bowl. Pour over the hot black tea or hot water and set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes.150 g Pitted Dates, 150 ml Black Tea
- To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease your bundt pan with quick and easy homemade cake release.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, golden syrup and sugar and using a handheld mixer whisk together until thick and frothy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment.150 g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 2 Eggs, 2 tbsp Golden Syrup
- Slowly pour the melted butter into the egg mixture and gently whisk together until fully incorporated and you have a thick and creamy mixture.100 g Unsalted Butter
- Add the vanilla extract, soaked dates and any remaining liquid into the mixture, and fold together until well combined.1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 150 g Pitted Dates
- Sieve the self-raising flour, baking soda and mixed spice into the mixture, and fold together until you have a smooth cake batter.165 g Self-Raising Flour, 2 tsp Mixed Spice, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- Spoon the cake batter into the greased bundt tin, until about two-thirds full. Gently smooth over the top of the cake batter to level it off.
- Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet, and bake at 180C/350F for 40-45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- When baked, leave to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
- To make the toffee sauce: Add the double cream, sugar, butter and golden syrup into a saucepan and gently heat until the ingredients are melted and begin to simmer.100 ml Double Cream, 75 g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 25 g Unsalted Butter, 1 tbsp Golden Syrup
- Allow the sauce to simmer until it becomes thick but is still runny. Pop the sauce to one side and cool before drizzling over the bundt cake and serving.
Notes
- Cake Pan Release – whether you’re a butter person or more of a release spray fan, I’ll guarantee that you’ll never use anything else again once you’ve tried this quick pan release recipe. Make a batch and keep it in the fridge, it’s magic!
- Fill about 2/3s full – don’t be tempted to fill your bundt pan to the top, otherwise when you bake it you’ll end up with an overflowing mess. For best releases don’t fill it more than 2/3s full, and if you have any batter leftover pop it in cupcake liners for a little extra treat.
- Let it cool in the pan – demolding the bundt when it’s still warm in the tin risks it breaking or leaving pieces of your pan design between. So make sure you let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out.
- Think about the design – there are so many intricate cake pan designs out there, and it would be a shame to cover them up with frosting or a glaze. If you have a fancy design like a gingerbread house bundt pan, then just a dusting of icing sugar does the job.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
