Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake (2024)

This sticky toffee loaf cake is perfect with a cup of tea, just as delicious as sticky toffee pudding. Delicious date loaf cake is filled with a swirl of sticky toffee sauce, step-by-step photos help you bake this tasty treat!

A while ago an old customer of mine, from my waitressing days, told me about a sticky toffee loaf cake sold at Costco in England. I was naturally intrigued, but I am sad to say it's taken me over a year to recipe test. Upon my initial research, there was not much information out there on the Costco version. I saw some photos of the cake, it had a sticky toffee drizzle and chunks of sweet fudge, but for me, I didn't want to bother with the fudge chunks.

I started the recipe development off of my sticky toffee pudding recipe, but since I wanted this somewhere between a cake and a quick bread I knew I need to amp up the flour.

The first test didn't go so well, I thought I had the timer on, needless to say, I didn't so the bottom and edges were burnt to black, no golden brown.

The center of the cake, however, was delicious, and the date flavor was beautiful, but it needed more of the sticky toffee flavor so my sister suggested I swirl the sticky toffee sauce inside the batter, which ended up being perfect.

I debated making some sort of frosting for the top, maybe adding powdered sugar to thicken the toffee sauce, but it didn't need it, it was perfect as is.

And so we arrive at this glorious loaf cake, reminiscent of banana bread, but sorry banana this date loaf knocked my socks off!!!

Let's get to the recipe.

🎂Ingredients you'll need

Only pantry staples needed here unless of course, you don't keep dates on hand!

• Butter. We'll use the butter for the loaf cake batter and for the sticky toffee sauce. I prefer to use salted butter, but you could use unsalted too! For the cake, you'll need softened butter, but for the sauce, you can use cold butter since we are melting it anyway!
• Brown Sugar. Brown sugar is used in both the cake and the sauce, it gives us that warm sweet flavor.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. This is also known as double cream. For the sticky toffee sauce, we add a bit of cream to make it extra rich and delicious.
• Pitted Dates. I prefer to buy pitted dates, but you could pit your own.
• Hot Water. The hot water softens the dates making them perfect for the cake batter. I just use water out of my boiled kettle.
• Baking Soda. The baking soda is added with the dates to soften them and also helps the cake rise.
• Large Eggs. Your eggs need to combine with the butter-sugar mixture so they need to be at room temperature, to do this quickly place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using.
• Pure Vanilla Extract. I love vanilla in almost all of my baking, especially when toffee or caramel is involved.
• Flour. You'll just need All-Purpose or Plain Flour.
• Baking Powder. The baking powder gives our loaf cake lift.
• Salt. Even though I use salted butter I find adding a bit more helps balance everything properly.

If you love toffee flavors then check out my toffee brittle.

📖How to make the loaf cake

Let's start with the toffee sauce. We are going to place it inside the cake batter and on top so we need it ready now!

Over medium heat in a large pot add the butter and brown sugar, whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes. Once the butter has melted fully and the sugar as well slowly add one tablespoon of cream at a time.

Make sure to mix each tablespoon of cream until its fully combined then add the next. Let the mixture come to a roaring boil for 2-3 minutes.

Let the toffee sauce sit in the pot and thicken while you prepare the rest of the cake.The sauce is hot so if you try and sneak a taste let it cool a little bit before 😉

This is the sauce after about 10 minutes, you can see its thickened nicely.

In a large heatproof bowl add the dates and hot water, let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, this helps soften the dates.

Prepare a 9X5 inchloaf panand grease the whole pan, preheat the oven to 350F/180C. You can prepare the rest of the recipe while the dates soak.

In a large bowl with a handheld electric whisk or bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the softened butter and sugar, mix on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to fully mix after each addition, again scraping the sides of the bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a food processor add the dates and liquid add baking soda and pulse 8-10 times until the mixture has broken down mostly- there will still be chunks that's what you want.

Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add half of the date mixture.

Next, add the rest of the dry ingredients and the date mixture again. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.

Spoon 5-6 teaspoons of the sticky toffee sauce on top of the batter and use a butter knife to swirl the sauce into the batter. Be careful not to swirl the toffee too much, we want pockets of toffee after all!

Top with the remaining batter and add another 5-6 teaspoons of toffee sauce and swirl again.

Bake the loaf cake for 45-55 minutes, until the cake is done. You can check by lightly pressing the cake in the center-- if it bounces back the cake is done, or press a toothpick into the center and look for no wet batter, moist crumbs are okay.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack.

After at least 30 minutes invert the cake on to a wire rack to cool completely. Reheat the remaining sticky toffee sauce just for a few seconds to loosen it, and use the remaining sauce to drizzle on top of the cake.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The loaf cake is perfect on it's own or take a slice and toast it then put some butter on it. And if you're feeling really over the top, which I often am, pour some cream or ice cream on top of the cake

🇬🇧More British recipes

Sticky toffee pudding was something I grew up with, there are a few other treats I grew up enjoying with my English parents.

Make sure to try my Bakewell tart recipe, you can't beat almond frangipane and raspberry together.

Shortbread is a buttery sweet biscuit cookie, I make mine now with brown butter for an extra delicious depth of flavor!

And you can't have a roast dinner without Yorkshire puddings!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake

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5 from 4 reviews

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This sticky toffee loaf cake is perfect with a cup of tea. Delicious date loaf cake is filled with a swirl of sticky toffee sauce, step-by-step photos help you bake this tasty treat!

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 10 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Sticky Toffee Sauce

• 4oz (½ Cup) Unsalted Butter
• 150 grams (¾ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

Cake

• 200 grams Pitted Dates
• 10oz (1 ¼ Cups) Hot Water
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 4oz (8 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, softened to room temp.
• 150 grams (¾ Cup) Brown Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs, at room temp
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

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Instructions

Sticky Toffee Sauce

1. In a large pot add the butter and brown sugar. Whisk constantly over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add one tablespoon of cream at a time.
2. Whisk each tablespoon of cream until its fully combined then add the next. Let the mixture come to a roaring boil for 2-3 minutes. Let the sauce sit in the pot and thicken while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Cake

1. In a large heatproof bowl add the dates and hot water, let sit for 10 minutes. Prepare a 9X5 inch loaf pan and grease the whole pan, preheat the oven to 350F/180C. While the dates soak prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer add the softened butter and sugar, mix on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to combine after each addition.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a food processor add the dates and liquid add baking soda and pulse 8-10 times until the mixture has broken down mostly- there will still be chunks that's what you want. Mix the vanilla into the date mixuture.
5. Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add half of the date mixture then the rest of the dry ingredients and the date mixture again. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan then spoon 5-6 teaspoons of the sticky toffee sauce on top and use a butter knife to swirl the sauce into the batter. Top with the remaining batter and add another 5-6 teaspoons of toffee sauce and swirl again.
6. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the cake is done. Lightly press the cake in the center if it bounces back the cake is done, or press a toothpick into the center and look for no wet batter, moist crumbs are okay. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
7. After at least 30 minutes invert the cake on to a wire rack to cool completley. Reheat the remaining sticky toffee sauce just for a second to loosen it, and use the remaining sauce to drizzle on top of the cake. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Equipment

OXO Kitchen Scale

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• Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 50
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: British

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