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By Gail Simmons, Food & Wine
There are a few desserts I never pass up if they appear on a menu, and anything beginning with “sticky toffee” in the name has always fallen firmly in that category. Specifically, sticky toffee cake (or pudding, as it’s often called) is my kryptonite.
Active Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
Yield: 12
More Recipe: Salted Chocolate Halva
Ingredients
PEAR STICKY TOFFEE CAKES
- 1 cup dried dates (about 6 ounces), pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/4 ounces), plus more for dusting tin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (2 ounces), plus softened butter for greasing tin
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium Bartlett or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/3-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
MISO-CARAMEL SAUCE
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (6 ounces)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white miso (organic, if possible)
- 1 cup heavy cream
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Make the pear sticky toffee cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with softened butter, and dust with flour; set aside. Stir together dates and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until dates are softened and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash mixture until mostly smooth; set aside.
- Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Place brown sugar and butter in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in date mixture. Fold in pear pieces.
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 1/3 inch from top (about 1/3 cup each). (Discard any remaining batter, or reserve for another use.) Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
Make the miso-caramel sauce
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Add brown sugar and miso; whisk until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream. Let mixture come to a boil; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; set aside until ready to use.
- Once cakes are finished baking, remove from oven; immediately poke holes all over cakes with a wooden pick. Spoon about 1 tablespoon miso-caramel sauce over each cake. Let cakes cool in muffin tin 20 minutes, occasionally poking additional holes to help sauce soak in.
Make the whipped cream
- Beat heavy cream in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Run a small offset spatula around each cake to help loosen from muffin tin. Invert cakes onto individual serving plates; top each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons miso-caramel sauce. Serve with whipped cream and remaining miso-caramel sauce.
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Make Ahead
Cakes can be made the night before and reheated for 10 minutes at 325°F before adding miso-caramel sauce.See more at Food & Wine
