Sticky Date Cake with Black Treacle Buttercream

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This Sticky Date Cake is made with teff flour and almond flour (called ground almonds in UK) so is naturally gluten-free. These flours give it incredible flavour alongside the delicious taste of the toffee-like medjool dates. It’s a gorgeously moist cake adorned with a simple buttercream, deepened with the molasses flavour of black treacle. The ultimate tea-time treat.

Jump to:

• Why this Date Cake works
• Ingredients needed
• How to make Sticky Date Cake
• How to make Black Treacle Buttercream
• Expert tips
• FAQs
• Sticky Date Cake with Black Treacle Buttercream

If you are a Sticky Toffee Pudding fan then you will love this cake. Using dates is an old favourite way of creating the sticky toffee flavour and they are used here in the same way, baked into the sponge of this delicious old fashioned sticky date pudding cake.

The texture of the cake is just the same soft light and moist texture that you will be familiar with from a sticky toffee cake but here, instead of hiding the great work of the dates, we are celebrating them. There are no flavour-masking spices or vanilla extract used here just really good medjool dates, black tea, dark brown sugar and teff flour which give this cake a delicious fudgy intensity.

Why this Date Cake works

• Medjool dates are used for their toffee like taste and moist texture.
• Instead of using boiling water the dates are soaked in freshly brewed tea which really enhances the flavour. Especially since you use the whole of the date mixture (tea included) in the batter.
• Teff flour is used for its molasses taste – a beautiful background note to the cake.
• This comforting dessert is easy to make with minimal ingredients and simple to decorate.
• The Black Treacle Buttercream pairs beautifully with the dark caramel notes of the cake.
• If you like the classic British dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding then you'll love this delicious cake.

Ingredients needed

Teff flour. This is a wholegrain flour which is naturally gluten-free. It works well in this Date Cake because of its wonderfully malty molasses taste pairs beautifully with the deep rich flavours of the dates, tea and brown sugar.

Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.

Black tea. You can happily use a tea bag if that is easier and any kind of black tea works. This recipe was tested with an English Breakfast Blend.

Medjool dates. Used for their rich flavour and thick sticky texture which gives a lovely toffee quality to the bake.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Dark soft brown sugar. Gives a wonderful rich molasses flavour to the cake.

Butter. Unsalted butter is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Egg. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g with shell (50g each without shell).

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

For the Buttercream

Butter. Unsalted butter is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Icing sugar. (powdered sugar). Icing sugar is preferred over white sugar in buttercream because it dissolves more easily, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture, while also contributing to the desired consistency and sweetness of the buttercream.

Black treacle is a dark, bitter syrup derived from sugar refining, it’s used often in traditional British baking thanks to its rich and unique flavour.

Salt. Essential for the buttercream to lift the flavours and mellow the sweetness.

Substitutions and Variations

• Flours. You can swap both the teff flour for the same amount of all-purpose flour if gluten-free is not an issue for you.
• Medjool dates. Medjool dates are incredibly sticky and give this cake so much moisture. These are really the only dates I would use for this particular cake.
• Black treacle. You can substitute for dark corn syrup of molasses if you can't get hold of black treacle but the flavour will be a little different.
• Add chopped walnuts for a bit of nutty texture.
• Include a little orange zest into the batter for a little citrus kick.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon or ginger to the cake batter for a touch of spice.
• Bake in some dark chocolate chips which will give even more ooey gooeyness and a great chocolate kick.

How to make Sticky Date Cake

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Soak chopped dates in freshly brewed tea with some bicarbonate of soda for 10 minutes.
2. Beat dark soft brown sugar with unsalted butter.
3. Add an egg and the soaked dates with all their liquid.
4. Sift together teff flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and then mix teh dry ingredients into the rest of the batter.
5. Pour into a square cake tin and bake for 50 minutes. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before covering with buttercream.

How to make Black Treacle Buttercream

This Black Treacle Buttercream is incredible and very easy.

1. Cream unsalted butter and icing sugar for 6-8 minutes until very light and creamy.
2. Add 1 tablespoon black treacle and a pinch of salt and beat in until fully incorporated.

Expert tips

• When you are measuring out your black treacle, dip your tablespoon into flavourless oil before scooping out the treacle. The treacle will slip out of the tablespoon and becomes a much less messy affair.
• Don’t brew the tea for longer than 3-5 minutes or the tea will taste ‘stewed’
• Dice the medjool dates up into small pieces for even distribution throughout the cake.
• The butter should be room temperature before creaming with the sugar to achieve a light and fluffy sponge.
• Sift the flours well with the baking powder and salt so they are mixed evenly throughout the cake.
• Check the cake is baked by inserting a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle of the cake. It should come out dry with no sticky crumbs (unless you’ve caught a date).

FAQs

✨Have you tried this Sticky Date Cake? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨