Sticky Date Cake
- March 5, 2026
- 0 Comments
- Dessert
The fluffiest sticky date cake! Even if you don’t like dates, this dessert will most definitely win you over. The dates add a wonderful caramel flavor to the batter, and the cake itself is smothered in a homemade toffee sauce, then topped with ice cream and even more toffee sauce… a dream !! ᝰ.ᐟ
Today we’re making sticky date cake! When I tell you the crumb on this cake is truly the fluffiest bite you’ll take out of a cake !! I like using both butter and avocado oil here so the cake stays tender even after it cools, and that’s a staple I like including in almost all of my cake recipes!
Also, for any of my date skeptics out there, you will definitely love this too. The dates are first softened with hot water or milk, then turned into a paste so they break down into the batter. That’s what gives the cake its signature caramel flavor and also contributes to the soft texture.
So many reasons to love sticky date cake, and now you can make it at home ✮⋆˙
Few tips ᝰ.ᐟ
- Soften the dates in hot water or milk until jammy so they break down and give the cake that caramel flavor. You can use either milk or water, milk will of course contribute a tad bit more flavor
- Bring butter and eggs to room temperature for a smooth, tender batter.
- Fold in the flour and date mixture gently, over mixing can make the cake dense!
- Using both butter and avocado oil keeps the crumb soft and bakery-like!
- Poke holes in the cake and pour the warm toffee sauce over while it’s still warm so it soaks in well, then allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes, so it has time to soak in that beautifully homemade toffee sauce
Here’s a video to guide you along the process ✮⋆˙
Process ✮⋆˙
Sticky Date Cake
Ingredients
Before we get into the recipe, I was only going to provide gram measurements, but to show why weighed measurements are so important, I included the exact weight for each ingredient alongside the difference in how cup measurements don’t perfectly give you the correct amount. So please keep that in mind if you choose to go with the cup measurement route
Date paste
- 200 grams Pitted Medjool dates, chopped
- 240 ml Boiling water or whole milk (one cup)
- 1 tsp baking soda
Cake batter
- 60 grams Salted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup of butter is 55 grams, so a little over 1/4 cup of butter)
- 60 ml Avocado oil (1/4 cup of oil is 55 grams, so a little over 1/4 cup of oil)
- 165 grams Brown sugar light, or dark (3/4 cup)
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 180 grams All-purpose flour (1 1/2 cup of flour is 190 grams, so 180 grams would be a little less than 1 1/2 grams)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
Toffee sauce
- 145 grams Brown sugar Dark, or light (2/3 cup)
- 120 ml Heavy cream 1/2 cup
- 60 grams Unsalted butter (1/4 cup of butter is 55 grams, so a little over 1/4 cup of butter)
- 1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter or line an 8-inch square pan
- Place the chopped dates in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water and stir in the baking soda. Let sit for 15 minutes until very soft. Lightly mash your dates down with a fork, you want a thick and jammy paste, not completely smooth
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth and slightly fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the avocado oil while mixing so it emulsifies into the butter mixture. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla
- Add your flour, baking powder, ground cloves, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined with a few flour streaks left. Fold in the date mixture along with all the soaking liquid
- Pour into prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. The top should look deeply golden
- For the sauce, combine the brown sugar, cream, butter, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it gently simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy
- When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over with a skewer and pour about half the warm toffee sauce over it so it soaks in. Let it rest at least 20 minutes before serving!
- Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, and remaining sauce spooned over. A small pinch of flaky salt on top right before serving also makes it quite delightful in my opinion
