Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce one of the best cakes you’ll ever eat. AND, you’ll never guess the ingredient that makes this cake moist and yummy!
This cake is moist and not overly sweet, but the addition of rich and luscious caramel poured over the hot cake makes this amazing!
My husband and I were talking to a friend recently when he inquired about Call Me PMc. I was eager to talk about it (of course!). He asked what I’d been cooking and sharing lately. My husband jumped in and answered “desserts! That’s all she makes”. It isn’t the only thing I make, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve made and shared a lot of desserts during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. In fact, this is no secret with any of my readers, I love desserts! I have an insatiable sweet tooth. I love to eat desserts and I love to bake desserts!
Here’s the thing, I enjoy running. I enjoy fruit and salads. Basically, I eat well excluding the desserts. Now, I feel like if I get a good run in, I can enjoy a small dessert. If I have a salad for lunch, I can have a little dessert for a snack. That should work, right? It makes perfect logic to me. I save calories in one place so I can enjoy them on the things I like.
Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce
For instance, I like to splurge on this Sticky Toffee Cake. Without the Caramel Sauce, this cake is dense and not very sweet. In fact, it’s almost like bread. After I made it, I thought I had made a bad decision on this cake. But, magic happened once I poured the Caramel Sauce over the hot cake. Actually, it took all the willpower I could muster to not drink the Caramel Sauce all by itself!
It’s that good all by itself. It’s even better to saturate this cake!
Adding a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream really brings out the flavors.
This Sticky Toffee Cake is one of those cakes that gets better the longer it sits. I find that often in cakes that contain fruit. It’ll stay good stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but it won’t last that long. To serve it after it has cooled, I place each slice in the microwave for 25 to 30 seconds to warm it. You may find you like it this way as well. I then put the scoop of whipped cream on top and maybe an extra drizzle of warmed Caramel Sauce.
So, what is that special ingredient?
Dates! Yes, now, don’t be intimidated! Or, think that’s ‘yucky’! I chopped them really small. You couldn’t really tell they were in the cake, but they added a nice, rich flavor. I didn’t leave big chunks of dates. Enjoy my Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce!
Get the Brown Sugar Caramel recipe here.
You’ll want to make these recipes too
- White Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
- Orange & Jalapeno Marinated Grilled Flat Iron Steak
- Cranberry Eggnog Crumb Coffee Cake
- Upside-Down Maple Pear Skillet Cake
- Amaretto Pound Cake

Caramel Poke Cake
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 2 cup boiling water
- 8 oz dried dates pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Soak the dates in the hot water for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch cake pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine flour and baking powder.
- Add dates and liquid and mix until combined.
- Add flour/baking powder mixture and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into greased pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Make caramel sauce.
- When cake comes out of oven, poke holes in it using a skewer. Pour 1/3 of sauce over cake and allow caramel to soak in. Allow to cool 5 minutes and pour another 1 cup of sauce over cake.
- Reserve remaining caramel sauce to serve with cake.
- Cake is great warm with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Allyssa says
Super helpful, thanks a bunch for this caramel sauce recipe! It’s really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Wendy says
This was such a treat! The whole family loved it.
Cami says
This is amazing! Im gonna share this to my friends!
Scarlet says
OH my goodness. I love the brown sugar caramel on this date cake. Yum!
kg51 says
Where can i get the Brown sugar carmel sauce recipe. Please
Paula says
Thanks, I didn’t realize it had unlinked in the post> https://www.callmepmc.com/brown-sugar-caramel-sauce/
I inserted it into the post as well.
VA says
This looks great-we like dates so much.
I’m a little confused though-you talk about Sticky Toffee Date Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce and then on the printable recipe it says Carmel Poke Cake and then don’t forget the Brown Sugar Caramel recipe but, I don’t find it.
You have so many great recipes. Thanks for your help.
AnnMarie says
I just love sweets and I also love cakes like this that aren’t too sweet. The caramel sauce sounds perfect. The other recipes in your post are irresistible too! Pinning them all! Visiting from Freedom Fridays
Mireille says
what an amazing cake with healthy dates
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
I’m the exact same way, Paula! I love salads, fruits, running….and desserts!! This dessert looks amazing with that delicious sauce of yours. Thanks so much for sharing at Saturday Night Fever! I am pinning this!!
Paula says
Thank you, Cathy.
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
This cake is gorgeous Paula! It looks so soft and fluffy! Dates are really cool– you can do so much with them!
Tell your husband that we are all binge bakers lol. I swear all I’ve made for 2 weeks is sweet stuff and then it will be all savory again for awhile. My posts are balanced. My kitchen is not. Ha! Awesome recipe!
Cynthia says
I wouldn’t have guessed dates! Still sounds delicious. Thanks for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next time.
Kelly says
This cake looks incredible Paula! The caramel sauce looks so mouthwatering! I have just recently been using dates too and I love that you used dates in here – great recipe 🙂
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says
Dates are so fun to use and they add a great sweetness to any dish. Love this recipe Paula, especially the caramel sauce!
Winnie says
Here dates are very popular and this is definitely a cake for us 🙂
I’m saving the recipe !!
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
Well, of course that is great logic, Paula! It’s like how *if* I go to a pilates class… I reward myself by stopping by to grab a PB shake. When everyone of my friends are swearing off sweets/sugar… they are up in night to think I am going to join them on that craziness! I can’t wait to try this one. See, I know you and I would just be swapping treats through the back door every day if we were neighbors! xo
Paula says
We would so totally be baking together and swapping treats! I can tell we’re a lot alike!! I laughed when you posted the picture last week about just taking a drive for no reason at all, that is one of my most favorite things to do!!
Laura Dembowski says
I totally share your dessert philosophy. I have always wanted to try sticky toffee pudding, and now I want to even more. It looks sinful!
Paula says
I was concerned but I really loved it. REally that caramel would make anything great!
Cindy Eikenberg says
Paula, oh my, this cake looks fantastic and you totally had me at caramel! Of pinning and buffering! Hope you have a happy Saturday!
Paula says
Thank you, Cindy.