Crunchy Salty Sweet

I found out recently that my very favorite restaurant in Salem is closing. They are known for their great wine list, superb homemade pasta, and some of the best seafood I’ve ever had. But none of these things are the reason the restaurant is my favorite. Their sticky toffee pudding is unforgettable and literally life-changing. The cake is sweetened mostly with dates, which I know doesn’t sound super sexy, but I promise you sugar can not give the same depth of flavor as the dates provide.

So, in honor of the countless STPs I enjoyed at my beloved now-closed restaurant, I decided to give this recipe a try for myself (luckily I have overcome my fears of caramel making). And the outcome was prettyyyyy darn good if I do say so myself!!

Dice the dates into small pieces.

Boil 1 cup of water and pour over the pitted dates. Add the baking soda.

Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the date mixture (with the water) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

Add the egg and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Combine the flour mixture with the sugar mixture.

From the blender or food processor, add the date mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour batter into a greased 9×9 square pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together the brown sugar, butter, cream and vanilla.

Let the caramel come to a simmer and whisk for 7-8 minutes, until the caramel reduces and thickens slightly.

For serving, whisk the whipping cream until you have soft peaks. Do not sweeten.

Cut a (large, let’s be honest) slice of date cake.

Pour caramel sauce over cake and sprinkle with sea salt.

Top cake with unsweetened whipped cream and eat instantly.

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Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Makes: 4-6 large servings

Prep: 30 minutes, Cook: 35 minutes, Total: 65 minutes

For the cake:

• 13 dried dates, pitted (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

For the caramel:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving:

• Unsweetened whipped cream
• Sea salt

Dice the dates into small pieces.

Boil 1 cup of water and pour over the pitted dates. Add the baking soda. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the date mixture (with the water) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Combine the flour mixture with the sugar mixture.

From the blender or food processor, add the date mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour batter into a greased 9×9 square pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together the brown sugar, butter, cream and vanilla.

Let the caramel come to a simmer and whisk for 7-8 minutes, until the caramel reduces and thickens slightly.

For serving, whisk the whipping cream until you have soft peaks. Do not sweeten.

Cut a (large, let’s be honest) slice of date cake.

Pour caramel sauce over cake and sprinkle with sea salt.

Top cake with unsweetened whipped cream and eat instantly.