Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding

We combine dates and brown sugars to give this dessert a wonderfully rich and caramel flavour. It’s sticky but not dense. It’s sweet but still perfectly moreish.

Ingredients

-1 squares+

Metric

Method

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 350°F and line the base and sides of a 23cm (9”) square cake tin with baking paper.

   
2. 2

   Put the dates into a small mixing bowl. Cover with hot water straight from the kettle and leave to soak for 5–10 minutes while you carry out the next steps.

   
3. 3

   Put the light brown sugar, muscovado sugar, plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Melt the margarine in a microwave or in a pan, then add it to the mixing bowl along with the plant-based milk and vanilla extract.

   
4. 4

   Drain the dates (they should be very soft now), then finely chop them until they reach a purée-like consistency. Add the dates to the mixing bowl and give the cake mix a good stir until all the ingredients are combined. Transfer the mixture to the pre-lined cake tin and level the top of the mixture with a spatula.

   
5. 5

   Cut the apple quarters into 0.5cm thick slices and decorate the top of the cake with them. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

   
6. 6

   Meanwhile, put the toffee sauce ingredients into a microwave-proof jug and microwave for 1 minute, then remove, stir, and microwave for a further minute. Note: it’s important to let the caramel sit for 10 minutes to thicken before pouring it over the pudding. Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat, whisking constantly for 5–6 minutes until the caramel has thickened.

   
7. 7

   Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before pulling out using the baking paper and placing on a chopping board. To serve, pour the toffee sauce all over and top with vegan ice cream.