Banana Fosters Sticky Date Pudding

🍌 Bananas Foster Sticky Date Pudding

Warm, rich, and irresistibly gooey, this twist on classic sticky toffee pudding is soaked in butterscotch and topped with caramelized bananas (flambé optional!)

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⏱️ Prep Time: 15 min

🍳 Cook Time: 30 min

🕒 Total Time: 45 min

Servings: 12

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🧾 Ingredients

🍰 For the Date Pudding Cake

• 9 oz Pitted Dates

• 1 cup Boiling Hot Water

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• ¼ cup Brown Sugar

• 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened

• 2 large Eggs

• 1¼ cups All-Purpose Flour

• 1½ tsp Baking Powder

• Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving

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🍯 For the Butterscotch Sauce

• 1¼ cups Brown Sugar

• 1½ cups Heavy Cream

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter

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🍌 For the Bananas Foster (Optional but highly recommended)

• ¼ cup Unsalted Butter

• ¼ cup Brown Sugar

• 2 Semi-Ripe Bananas, sliced

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• Pinch of Salt

• ¼ cup Rum (for flambé — optional)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1: Make the Date Pudding Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9" baking dish with butter.

2. In a bowl, combine:

   • 9 oz dates

   • 1 tsp baking soda

   • 1 cup boiling water
     Let sit for 10 minutes to soften. Then mash with a fork or blend to a porridge-like texture.

3. In a stand mixer:

   • Beat ¼ cup brown sugar and 6 tbsp softened butter for 1 minute.

   • Add 2 eggs, beat another minute.

   • Mix in the date puree.

4. Add:

   • 1¼ cups flour

   • 1½ tsp baking powder (sprinkled evenly over the flour)
     Mix just until smooth and no dry flour remains.

5. Pour batter into prepared dish.

6. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Step 2: Make the Butterscotch Sauce

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine:

   • 1¼ cups brown sugar

   • 1½ cups heavy cream

   • 5 tbsp butter

   • 1 tsp vanilla

2. Stir constantly for 4–5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

   Don’t overcook — it will thicken more as it cools.

3. While the cake is still warm, poke 30–40 holes in it using a wooden skewer.
   Pour half the sauce over the cake. Let it soak for 10+ minutes.

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Step 3: Make the Bananas Foster (Optional)

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add:

   • ¼ cup butter

   • ¼ cup brown sugar

2. Once melted, add banana slices in a single layer.
   Cook 1–2 minutes per side, until lightly golden.

3. Add:

   • 1 tsp vanilla

   • Pinch of salt

4. (Optional Flambé)

   • Remove pan from heat, add ¼ cup rum.

   • Return to heat and tilt slightly toward the flame until it ignites.

   • Allow flame to burn out while gently swirling the pan to caramelize the bananas.

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🍨 To Serve

Serve warm slices of sticky date cake with:

• A scoop of vanilla ice cream

• A spoonful of bananas foster

• A drizzle of reserved butterscotch sauce

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💡 Pro Tips

• Use semi-ripe bananas for the best texture — they should hold their shape but still caramelize well.

• Let the cake rest at least 10 minutes after pouring on the sauce so it can fully absorb.

• The flambé adds amazing flavor and drama, but you can skip the rum and still get delicious results.

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🧯 Safety Note (for Flambé)

Always flambé away from any overhead cabinets or flammable materials. Use a long lighter or stick match if igniting manually, and never pour rum from the bottle into a hot pan!