because is it really the holiday season without sticky toffee pudding? this is not a dessert i grew up eating. italian's are certainly not known for serving sticky toffee pudding at christmas. it is a dessert i discovered when i was a teenager & immediately became obsessed with it! a sweet cake drowned in toffee sauce.. who can resist? once this cake was on my radar, i began making it every year for christmas (to serve along side my annual holiday cheesecake). the sticky pudding can be made in individual portions or as one big sheet cake. neither option is superior to the other, it is more just based on what baking pan you have available & how you intend to serve the cake. to make mine into cute little bundt cakes, i used this mini fluted cake mold by silpat. a muffin tin works too!
i love incorporating matcha in unexpected ways & this year seemed like the perfect opportunity to add it to my traditional sticky toffee pudding. i actually can't believe i couldn't find a single recipe online where matcha has been incorporated into sticky pudding & toffee sauce. seriously, it is so good why has no one else tried this before?! aiya matcha's culinary grade matcha does not over power the dish, as the overall flavour is very caramely thanks to the dates. it simply brings an unexpected flavour that you didn't know you were missing. i topped it with pomegranates because pomegranate seeds are so wintery & pretty. however, a dusting of sugar works too!
p.s. 13 sleeps until christmas!!!! is everyone ready for the best day of the year?
xo
for the pudding
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons aiya's culinary grade matcha powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- toffee sauce, see recipe below
- whipped cream, for serving
for the toffee sauce
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon aiya's culinary grade matcha powder, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- pomegranate seeds, for topping
directions
- preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a medium mixing bowl pour boiling water over the medjool dates. let sit for 10 minutes, until the dates have rehydrated. using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the mixture until it is a smooth paste. set aside until ready to use.
- in a separate large mixing bowl cream the butter & brown sugar. add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla & pureed dates.
- sift in the flour, matcha, baking powder, baking soda & salt. beat until combined.
- in a greased 12 tin muffin pan or a 9 by 12 baking dish evenly distribute the batter. bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes if using a muffin pan or 20-25 minutes if using a 9 by 12 baking dish.
- while the pudding is in the oven, prepare the toffee sauce. in a saucepan over medium heat add the butter, sugar, cream, matcha & salt.
- constantly whisking, bring mixture to a boil & cook for 60 seconds to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved. remove from heat & stir in the vanilla.
- as soon as the pudding is ready, pour the toffee sauce generously over each one. if using a 9 by 12 baking dish, poke a few holes in the cake before adding the sauce. the toffee sauce will soaks into the pudding best when warm!
- serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. garnish with pomegranate seeds.
