Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

Enjoy the warmth and caramely flavor of this Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. Make them in individual ramekins for a personalized dessert!

Glory, glory HALLELUJAH!!!! Fall is in the air. You really don’t know just how excited I am to be sitting at my computer typing this post in sweat pants…without sweating. It’s glorious, I tell you!

I don’t ever let myself flirt with the thoughts of fall until well after Halloween. More years than not, we are desperately stripping off various elements of our Halloween costumes just to avoid heat stroke while trick-or-treating. In fact, our Halloween costumes are more geared toward the weather rather than what my children actually want to be. Elsa, you say??? I think you really mean Moana, right??? Or how about Ariel??? Trick-or-treating in a swimsuit sounds perfect.

On a side note: Any costume WITHOUT glitter would be much appreciated this year. I’ve henceforth banned the Belle costume of glitter death from Emry until Halloween night. My downstairs looks like a sparkle war zone and I’m about to be the first fatality; imminent mental breakdown.

And now back to my boring weather post…

My entire family nearly fried under the heat of the Phoenix sun last year when I drug them on a post Thanksgiving hike. Don’t even get me started on that hike. Not only was it blazing hot, but I also had the flu, my brother nearly got bit by a rattlesnake, and, unbeknownst to me at the time, there was a blood thirsty flock of lice viciously attacking my poor scalp. I like to refer to this particular holiday as the holiday from hell.

But really…THANKSGIVING! That’s nearly the end of November. The heat here tends to wayyyyy over stay its welcome. And nobody likes the lingering guest that just refuses to leave; absolutely no social etiquette. I mean summers are great and all, but I dream of a life where my girls own more than just swimsuits and shorts in their wardrobes.

Well, it seems as though Phoenix is making up for lost time this year. We skipped right over the 90’s and plunged head first into the 70’s and 80’s. If you could only hear my squeals of delight. Get this: My girls are such foreigners to cooler weather that they actually put on their designated “Utah vacation winter coats” to eat dinner on the porch last night. It was 70 degrees people. My children are weak.

However, I am by no means complaining. My kids can wear snow suits every day for all I care as long as I don’t experience another day in the hundreds until at least June. And to make sure our weather stays nice, I’m going to start baking weekly fall treats like this Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. Because, you know, the weather revolves around the aroma of my kitchen. Of this I’m sure.

Not only are these gluten free sticky toffee pudding cakes absolutely delicious, but the personal sized cakes will make your favorite people feel loved. There is just something about individual portioned food that makes someone feel special…like you made it just for them…when in reality you made it for you, but there just so happens to be 7 or 8 mini leftovers. Let’s be honest.

After watching an episode of MasterChef and seeing two of the top contestants battle over recreating Gordon Ramsay’s perfect sticky toffee pudding cake, I knew that I MUST recreate this recipe. Whose to argue with a sticky, moist cake, a heavenly caramel sauce, and a personal sized dessert???

I’ve never made a sticky toffee pudding cake, so I threw out my pride and begrudgingly decided to look up a recipe. I haven’t followed a recipe in ages!!! My favorite thing is to create original recipes based off my own culinary skills and knowledge. But sometimes you can’t know it all, even though I pretend to.

However…Mel’s Kitchen Cafe knocked it out of the park with this recipe. I only altered a few minor ingredients to make it gluten free and to enhance the texture/flavor, but she is spot on with the original version, I’m sure. She even has a video, so if you weren’t convinced to make this recipe beforehand, you definitely will be making it after viewing. Just wipe the drool away first. Ain’t nobody want your nasty spit in their caramel sauce.

The flavor base for this recipe comes from soaking glorious medjool (or deglet) dates in water until somewhat of a sticky paste forms. You then mix that into your batter and viola! A tender, flavorful cake from heaven bakes up in your oven. A much better gift from heaven than manna. I’m quite certain there would have been no complaining from those Israelites if they were living off of gluten free sticky toffee pudding cakes.

Sorry, that’s probably sacrilegious…but it just may be true. But it would also have to rain caramel sauce to make this dish complete, and that may just get a little sticky. Better stick with manna.

About that caramel sauce: you’re lucky to get any on your plate. You’ll for sure have to stop yourself from slurping it up with a spoon. It’s a good thing I burned my tongue right off the bat, so I stopped after one lick. And don’t worry, I got a new spoon. There’s no spit in my caramel sauce either.

The caramel sauce comes together in minutes by just melting butter, brown sugar, and pure maple syrup together. Bring to a boil and add some heavy whipping cream. There you go, a sauce of gold. This sauce will get grainy in the fridge while you store it. Just make sure you reheat it for leftovers to achieve a smooth texture again.

If you’re not a convert of gluten free sticky toffee pudding cakes quite yet, do me a favor: just make them. Seriously, these are the quintessential fall dessert; a must make recipe. You will fall in love just as I did. Believe me when I say that this dessert will leave your holiday guests feeling full and happy.

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Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Enjoy the warmth and caramely flavor of this Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. Make them in individual ramekins for a personalized dessert!

Author: Brielle

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:
6 oz. chopped dates, about 1 cup
¾ cup boiling water
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, room temperature (plus more for greasing)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (only if your gluten free flour blend doesn't already contain a gum)
½ teaspoon salt
1⅓ cups high quality gluten free flour or my preferred blend (1/2 cup white rice flour, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch, ¼ cup sorghum flour)
For the caramel sauce:
½ stick butter, cut into 4 pieces (4 tablespoons)
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or 2 more tablespoons brown sugar)
¼ teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

Chop dates and place in a small mixing bowl. Add baking soda, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour boiling water over top. Stir and let sit for 15 mins.
Once dates have soaked, grease 8-10 small ramekin dishes with butter or cooking spray. Place on baking sheet and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 mins. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add baking powder, xanthan gum (if needed), salt, and gluten free flour (or my preferred blend). Mix until well incorporated, scraping down sides as needed.
Add soaked date mixture to egg mixture (do not drain) and stir on low speed until incorporated.
Fill ramekins ⅔ way full and bake at 350 degrees on baking sheet for 18-22 mins or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean with few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack to cool.
To make sauce, heat butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt over low heat until melted and liquid. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add heavy whipping cream. Whisk vigorously to combine. Return to heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes more until slightly thickened. Remember, caramel will thicken as it cools.*
To serve cakes, flip warm cake out of ramekins and top with warm caramel sauce. Garnish and decorate as desired.

Notes

*This sauce will get grainy in the fridge while you store it. Just make sure you reheat it for leftovers to achieve a smooth texture again.