Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding (Date Cake)
This chai sticky toffee pudding is the perfect twist to the beloved classic. A soft, moist cake, drenched in rich, warm chai flavoured toffee sauce.
The chai adds a rich and deep flavour that makes it so addicting and you won't be able to stop eating it!
Despite it's name, it's actually a soft cake. Sticky Toffee Pudding originated in the United Kingdom in the 1900's (exact origins are disputed). The word 'pudding' is synonymous with 'dessert in the UK, hence the name of the dessert. Interesting, I know.
Sticky toffee pudding is basically a soft cake, smothered with a caramel/toffee sauce. It's moist, fudgy and cozy. The dates add a wonderful rich depth that's absolutely unmatched. This version infuses chai into the cake AND the toffee sauce. It makes it so decadent and rich, it almost rivals the original (I'm not trying to start any wars around here pls)
Ingredients for the Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Dates (obviously) - No, you cannot skip it. The dates add the signature flavour and its simply not the same without.
- Milk
- Black teabags
- Baking soda
- Butter - makes everything better but it's also needed for the cake structure as well
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Cardamom powder
- Baking powder
- Salt - always a must
- Heavy cream - for the sauuucceeee
Tips to make the best chai sticky toffee pudding
- Don't over-mix the batter - Once you add in the flour, only mix until the batter is just combined. Over-mixing will result in a dense and chewy cake. A silicon spatula works best
- Make the chai to your liking - You can add whichever spices you like to add to your chai. I like to keep it simple and just use the teabag and add cardamom straight to the batter.
- Once you add the eggs and dates, it'll look curdled but don't worry - You may think something went wrong but don't worry! It'll come together once you add in the dry ingredients
FAQ
What dates should I use?
I use Medjool dates here but Deglet Noor also works well!
Can I use a milk substitute?
Yes, any milk substitute will do just fine.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes! Bake it as usual and cover with half of the toffee sauce. Let it cool and cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. About 2-3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. When ready to serve, reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed. Pour over more of the sauce and serve!
Storage
Store in an airtight container for bout 2-3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge!
Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
- 9 oz - medjool dates washed and de-seeded
- 1 cup - whole milk (236ml)
- 2 - black teabags
- ¾ teaspoon - baking soda
- ½ cup - butter, softened (112g)
- 6 tablespoon - brown sugar (75g)
- 2 - large eggs
- 1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup - all purpose flour (184g)
- ¼ teaspoon - cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon - cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon - baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon - salt
Chai Toffee Sauce
- 1 - black teabag
- 3 tablespoon - butter (42g)
- ¾ cup - heavy cream (177ml)
- ⅔ cup - brown sugar (150g)
- pinch - salt
Instructions
Make the Chai Toffee Sauce
- Place the teabag with the cream in a saucepan and heat it up over low heat. Don't bring it to a boil. Let it heat up to a small simmer, and turn off the heat. Let it steep for 15-20 minutes to extract the flavour into the cream.
- Now add the brown sugar, butter and salt to the cream in the saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and then cook for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally until it thickens up. It will thicken more as it cools.
Make the Cake
- Place the 2 teabags and milk into a saucepan and heat it up to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it steep for about 10-15 minutes to infuse. Heat it up again right before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. (if the pan is dark coloured, reduce the temp to 325F)
- Chop up your dates and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle it with baking soda, and cover with the hot tea. Make sure the dates are submerged. Let that sit for about 15 minutes to soften. Now you can blend this in a food processor/blender or use a muddler to mash up the dates well.
- In another bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs and beat until it’s well incorporated. Then add the vanilla and the mushed dates and beat well.
- Add in the flour, salt, cardamom powder, cinnamon and baking powder and gently beat it for a little bit, just until it almost comes together. Then use a spatula to mix it all together until combined.
- In a lined 8x8 pan, spread the batter evenly. Bake at 350F for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. Should have a few crumbs. If you're not sure, just bake until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Take the cake out and poke holes all over the cake with a skewer or a fork. Drizzle over about half of the chai toffee sauce. Cut and serve with additional sauce and a scoop of ice cream if you prefer.
- Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a review or sharing with me on Instagram!
Sara says
This was so good!! Thank you for the recipe!
Sarah says
I only have loose leaf black tea, is it possible to use that instead of the tea bag?
Nabeah Wahab says
Yes! i would do about 1/2tbsp - 1 tbsp per tea bag!
R. Majumdar says
Made this yesterday for my mother and she loved it. Loved the perfect balance of sweet and salt although the flavour of chai was not so strong, the sticky sauce made everything taste so good. It went very well with the ice cream
Huzaifah Sheikh says
I tried it and it was extremely delicious and rich in flavor. Tbh it literally made my day. Thank you for sharing recipe
Maddie Squire says
I’m a pretty active baker, and this is honestly probably the best cake I’ve ever made, maybe even the best I’ve ever eaten. I subbed quite a bit to accommodate a dairy sensitivity (soy milk in the cake, coconut milk in the sauce) and I used rooibos instead of black tea because it’s what I had on hand.
The texture of the cake is excellent, and the date flavor is so prevalent and decadent! (and I’m not the biggest date fan) I’ll be keeping this recipe on hand for forever, and sharing it with all my baking friends!
Mirha Imran says
Hey!! Nabeah. I Loved the cake through and through. Couldn't get enough of it. I customized it slightly only because I couldn't feel the chai flavor as strongly in the batter. So I took another tea bag and let it stay in half cup hot water for 20 minutes, then added the tea both to the toffee and finished batter half and half. It did make the toffee lil runny but the cake turned out sexy. I'm so glad I could boldly feel the chai vibe. Thankyou girl! 🙂
Nadia Ahmed says
In sha Allah will try this recipe this weekend. I am not a chai person, so I can I just omit it? Anything to substitute?
Alliyah says
Was so yummy my family loved it!! I made a few tweaks by adding an extra egg and a bit more milk to achieve that extra fluffiness and to adjust the batter consistency. Also, I feel like using loose tea instead of tea bags would help enhance the overall chai flavor. Overall though I loved this unique recipe, perfect for a party or simple dessert at home, thank you!!
Sam says
The best sticky toffee pudding recipe I’ve made.
Loved by everyone. It’s definitely number one on my list of favourite puddings
Maya says
Can u pls make a video on how to make it pls its my aunt favorite dessert i would like to make it for her since she has cancer pls can u make a video thank u
Laya says
Hi can someone tell me how many pieces of date in 9oz
Farida S says
I really liked how this turned out - although the chai flavor was very subtle and husband didn’t pick up on it at all. I might increase the amount of tea I infuse going forward.
I do want to say though that it turned out more like a cake for me than the pudding consistency/density I was expecting from a pudding. Any thoughts on why that may be?
Nabeah Wahab says
I'm glad you liked it and thank you for trying it out!
In the UK, the word 'pudding' is synonymous with 'dessert, hence the name of the dessert. It's supposed to be a cake!
ABM Insulation says
Your post was both educational and entertaining. A rare combination that you've mastered beautifully!
NaszeNaturalne says
Your article is a testament to your expertise and passion for the subject. Excellent work!
Natalia Salik says
Can we replace tea with coffee? If yes, how much coffee should we put?
Nabeah Wahab says
Yes you can! I would add like 1 tsp of instant coffee into the milk and go from there! If you want it stronger, you can just dissolve some more instant coffee into a very small amount of water or milk!