Baked sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce recipe
 Baking rather than steaming the sticky toffee pudding saves time, and still produces a moist sponge to dish up with the lip-smacking toffee sauce. Serve with ice cream 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing150g/5½oz soft dark brown demerara sugar175g/6oz pitted dried dates1 tbsp golden syrup2 tbsp black treacle1 tbsp vanilla bean paste2 free-range eggs200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 150g/5½oz soft dark brown demerara sugar 175g/6oz pitted dried dates 1 tbsp golden syrup 2 tbsp black treacle 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste 2 free-range eggs 200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 200ml/7fl oz double cream80g/2½oz butter100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar1 tbsp black treacle1 tbsp golden syrup 200ml/7fl oz double cream 80g/2½oz butter 100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar 1 tbsp black treacle 1 tbsp golden syrup Method Preheat the oven to 2000C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter and dust with flour.Blend the butter and sugar together in a freestanding mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand-held whisk until fluffy.Put the dates and 300ml/10fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Gradually add the golden syrup, treacle, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add the flour. Once all the ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer.Purée the water and date mixture and add the bicarbonate of soda. Quickly stir this into the batter while it is still hot.Once the mixture is combined, pour it into the buttered and floured cake tin and bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is firm to the touch. Leave the pudding to cool in the tin. Meanwhile, to make the sauce place the cream in a saucepan and add the butter and sugar and melt. Whisk in the syrup and treacle.To serve, cut the pudding into squares and serve with the toffee sauce. Preheat the oven to 2000C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 2000C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Blend the butter and sugar together in a freestanding mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand-held whisk until fluffy. Blend the butter and sugar together in a freestanding mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand-held whisk until fluffy. Put the dates and 300ml/10fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the dates and 300ml/10fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Gradually add the golden syrup, treacle, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add the flour. Once all the ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer. Gradually add the golden syrup, treacle, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add the flour. Once all the ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer. Purée the water and date mixture and add the bicarbonate of soda. Quickly stir this into the batter while it is still hot. Purée the water and date mixture and add the bicarbonate of soda. Quickly stir this into the batter while it is still hot. Once the mixture is combined, pour it into the buttered and floured cake tin and bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is firm to the touch. Leave the pudding to cool in the tin. Once the mixture is combined, pour it into the buttered and floured cake tin and bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is firm to the touch. Leave the pudding to cool in the tin. Meanwhile, to make the sauce place the cream in a saucepan and add the butter and sugar and melt. Whisk in the syrup and treacle. Meanwhile, to make the sauce place the cream in a saucepan and add the butter and sugar and melt. Whisk in the syrup and treacle. To serve, cut the pudding into squares and serve with the toffee sauce. To serve, cut the pudding into squares and serve with the toffee sauce.