Christmas

Over The Top Sticky Toffee Cake with a Bit of Rum

by:
October  6, 2013
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 8-10
Author Notes

If you have a very sweet tooth like me, and like  idea of a cake laced with caramel/toffee sauce and a bit of rum, this "mood boosting" cake is for you. This cake is adapted from "Falling in Love Sticky Toffee Cake" @ cozycakescottage.com.  I added grated ginger and vanilla to the cake, and then modified the sauce a bit by doubling the amount that is poured on cake, doing another batch for the extra sauce served on the sides, and adding rum. The cake is really moist and with a subtle (or a bit less subtle for some) flavor of rum.   —Regine

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups Chopped dried dates
  • 2/3 cup Water
  • 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extra
  • 2 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons Butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Whole milk
  • For the Sauce: 2 cups heavy cream + 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar + 4 tbsp butter + 1 tsp vanilla + 6 tbsp rum
  • Optional - Devonshire cream
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-in round springform pan or grease with butter. Place the chopped dates and water in a saucepan, and boil for 1 minute. Set aside and let cool a bit but it should still be warm when used. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda. Using a cake mixer, whip the butter, sugar and ginger until light and fluffy. May take 5 minutes or so. Add the eggs one at a time making sure the first egg is well incorporated before adding the second one. Add the vanilla and date mixture, then half the flour, then milk, and last the remaining flour, mixing for a few seconds after each addition. Do not overmix. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center is clean or even with a bit of moist crumb. Place on a wire rack and cool for about 5 minutes.
  2. While cake is in oven, stir cream and sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil , add butter and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rum and vanilla off heat. Using a long skewer, poke holes all over the warm cake. Slowly and gradually pour  1 and  1/2 cup of sauce over the cake. I like to do that while cake is in springform pan.  Let sauce get absorbed in cake for about 1 hour or so. Before you remove sides of pan, place it on a plate in case some sauce drips. Use a cake spatula (or whatever the name is used for sliding cakes out of a plate) and place on serving platter. Try to pour on cake any sauce that may have dripped or is still in pan.  Best served warm but it is good room temperature too. Allow guests to pour more sauce on their individual servings.  You can also choose to re-warm the extra sauce when serving leftover cake.  Additionally, if you want to add more of a British touch, pour a bit of Devonshire cream on your serving.
  3. Note: if some sauce falls on the plate from the sides of the cake and you want like me to have clean sides, you can use a knife and push the drippings up the sides of the cake and spread it all around so as to prevent sauce from dripping again.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Regine
    Regine
  • Mackenzie Bravo
    Mackenzie Bravo
  • BrooklynBabette
    BrooklynBabette

6 Reviews

Mackenzie B. October 16, 2020
Lol, I've been making this recipe for a couple of years and never reviewed it. It's absolutely divine. The only thing I'll say is that you should be strict with the amount of Rum you put in it. More the merrier is not always the case; if you put more than prescribed, it overpowers everything else, but when you put the right amount in the balance of flavors *chef's kiss*.
 
Regine October 16, 2020
Hello, I am so happy you like it. Now I want to make some this weekend. 😃
Regarding the rum, you are so right. But did you mean to say the 6 tbsp in recipe should be reduced? I can update it to say i.e., 3 tbsp.
 
Mackenzie B. October 16, 2020
No, the 6 Tbsp is perfect. It's just that I made it once and did some messy measuring (I measured the rum over the toffee sauce saucepan and inevitably overpoured a bit) and threw the whole thing off. When I've done the 6 Tbsp exactly the balance has been Peeerrrrfect. :)
 
Regine October 16, 2020
Perfect. 😜 Now you make me want to have some. It has been a while since I last made it. Looks like I have some baking to
do today or tomorrow.
 
Regine November 9, 2015
Thanks Brooklyn Babette. You should make it. 0)
 
BrooklynBabette November 9, 2015
Looks and sounds delicious.