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One-bowl cakes are the forgotten gems in the world of home baking.
Many home bakers believe there are only two options for making cakes at home: 1) commercial cake mixes, or 2) complicated, multi-step recipes developed by professional chefs. But there’s another way: one-bowl cakes are all-natural, quick and easy to prepare.
They’re as much about what isn’t required as what is:
- you don’t need multiple bowls
- you will not need to cream the fat (e.g., butter, shortening or oil) with the sugar
- you will not need to separate the eggs
- you will not need to alternately add ingredients while simultaneously mixing
- you will not need to use cake flour or any other fancy flour
- you will not need to sift flour
- you do not need to own or use a heavy-duty stand mixer.
You’ll be able to create a multitude of cakes everyone loves to eat, from classic layer cakes and Bundt cakes to old-fashioned cakes and modern innovations. The ever-popular lay-flat concealed wire-o hardcover binding, with full color throughout, makes this book even more convenient.
In addition to the cake recipes, there are over 50 recipes for icings, glazes, syrups and sauces.
That lay-flat binding though, I honestly don’t know why anyone would print a recipe book in any other format. It’s so much easier to work from. The recipes in Piece of Cake by Camilla are clear and easy to follow and most recipes are made up of pantry staples. The instructions are easy enough that anyone should be able to follow. This is a really useful resource for the home baker with plenty of information about substitutions, alternate pan sizes etc…
The bonus here is that clean-up is always easy with these one-bowl recipes and honestly – aside from the weight gain, clean-up is the worst part about baking.
Happy Baking!
Yield: 9
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Sticky toffee pudding is a favorite British dessert consisting of moist cake flooded with a decadent toffee sauce (“pudding” is synonymous with “dessert” in England). My husband thinks it is one of the best desserts ever, and I wholeheartedly agree. The name alone makes me weak in the knees. I’ve simplified this classic British dessert while simultaneously making it more delicious than ever (if I do say so myself).
Ingredients
- 8- inch square metal baking pan, 20 cm, sprayed with nonstick baking spray with flour
- 8 oz pitted dates, 250 g, chopped
- 1 tsp baking soda, 5 mL
- 1 cup boiling water, 250 mL
- 3 ⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar, 175 mL
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 90 mL, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 mL
- 11 ⁄3 cups all-purpose flour, 325 mL
- 1 tsp baking powder, 5 mL
- 1 ⁄2 tsp salt, 2 mL
Toffee Sauce
- ⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar, 125 mL
- 1 ⁄8 tsp salt, 0.5 mL
- 1 ⁄2 cup heavy or whipping cream, 125 mL, 35%
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 90 mL, cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 mL
Instructions
- 1. In a large bowl, combine dates, baking soda and boiling water. Let stand for about 30 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.
- 2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- 3. Add brown sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla to date mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat for 2 minutes, until blended (mixture will appear slightly curdled). Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula. Beat for 15 to 30 seconds, until blended.
- 4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
- 5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Prepare Toffee Sauce while cake bakes.
- 6. Set pan on a wire rack. Poke holes all over top of cake with a toothpick. Pour 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) of the sauce over cake. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Cut cake into squares and serve warm with the remaining sauce.
- In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, salt, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, for 2 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Use while still warm.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled cake in the refrigerator in a cake keeper, or loosely wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, for up to 5 days. Warm cake, wrapped loosely in foil, in a 350°F (180°C) oven before serving.
Tip: Eight ounces (250 g) pitted whole dates yields approximately 2 cups (500 mL) chopped dates.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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Courtesy of Piece of Cake! by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2011 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
FAQs
A super moist date cake is smothered in a buttery, sweet, toffee sauce and drizzled with a touch of cream. Beautiful and delicious! It's easy to get confused by the name of this recipe, but contrary to what it sounds like, sticky toffee pudding is actually one of the best cakes around.
How old is sticky toffee pudding? ›
Although its origins are unclear, it was likely invented during the 20th century in the Lake District of northwest England, from where its popularity spread across the country.
Why is sticky toffee pudding called pudding? ›
The simple explanation is that Brits use the word 'pudding' to refer to dessert. If they are going to serve you an actual pudding they will specify the type of pudding – for example, sticky toffee pudding or rice pudding.
Why can't you reheat sticky toffee pudding? ›
Unfortunately though these type of self-saucing puddings do not reheat very well as the sauce tends to thicken and be absorbed by the sponge as the pudding cools. So when you reheat the pudding it will have a sticky base but with very little sauce.
What's the difference between sticky date pudding and sticky toffee pudding? ›
Sticky toffee pudding, known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand, is a British dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake made with finely chopped dates (optional), covered in a toffee sauce and often served with a vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream.
Should sticky toffee pudding be refrigerated? ›
Do the puddings need to be refrigerated? Yes!
Does Costco sell sticky toffee pudding? ›
🤤 Sticky Toffee Pudding at Costco!!! How have I never had this before 😮? Delicious... I'm eating a lemon one now.
Does America have sticky toffee pudding? ›
The beloved British classic is popping up on dessert menus across the United States, from natural wine bars to Harry Potter World. Sticky toffee pudding is a clear communicator.
Is Figgy pudding the same as sticky toffee pudding? ›
Like the Christmas pudding and figgy puddings before it, the sticky toffee pudding is usually steamed for maximum moisture. Instead of figs, however, very finely chopped dates are added to the cake, which gets covered in a toffee sauce.
What is a fun fact about sticky toffee pudding? ›
Fun fact: In New Zealand and Australia the dish is called sticky date pudding. Because no one knows exactly where sticky toffee pudding was created, it's unclear how the addition of dates was added, but it's certain you can't make the recipe without them.
A taste of Sticky Toffee Pudding
The Irish love to eat it as a dessert or snack, accompanied by vanilla ice cream (for a touch of freshness!). You'll find them in most local restaurants serving Irish cuisine, but you can also find them in pastry shops.
What do British people call ice cream? ›
What is ice cream called in England? - Quora. Of course, it's ice cream. But not exactly the same ice cream as in the States, I think. In the UK, when the word is spoken, stress is traditionally put on the cream rather than the ice.
What do Brits call pudding? ›
Unless qualified, however, pudding usually means dessert and in the United Kingdom, pudding is used as a synonym for dessert. Puddings made for dessert can be boiled and steamed puddings, baked puddings, bread puddings, batter puddings, milk puddings or even jellies.
What drink goes best with sticky toffee pudding? ›
One of the all-time favourite British desserts sticky toffee pudding is super-sweet so will overwhelm most wines you might think of pairing with it so what should you choose? Your best bet is a sweet fortified wine like tawny port, sherry or Madeira, a beer (believe it or not!) or a whisky liqueur.
What does sticky toffee pudding taste like? ›
Sticky toffee pudding has a decadent, soft and almost chewy caramel/toffee flavor and texture. Although many sticky toffee pudding recipes don't call for a spice mixture, we include a small amount of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg into ours which adds a subtle depth of flavor that compliments the sweet richness.
Do Americans have sticky toffee pudding? ›
The beloved British classic is popping up on dessert menus across the United States, from natural wine bars to Harry Potter World. Sticky toffee pudding is a clear communicator.
Is Sticky Toffee the same as caramel? ›
The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is toffee made of? ›
Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 149 to 154 °C (300 to 310 °F). While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.
