Everyone loves this decadent dessert, a cross between a date cake and a gooey date pudding! Do not—I repeat—serve it without the sauce, which most say is truly finger-lickin’ good! It makes a very celebratory St. Patrick’s day sweet. You’ll find suggestions for other baking versions (cupcakes, etc) in my new cookbook “Favorite Flavors of Ireland.” Bon appetite!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Serves 10-12

Both the English and the Irish love this sweet, which is actually more like a cake than a pudding. Some cooks add Guinness to the pudding or whiskey to the sauce, as in this recipe.

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups chopped dates

2 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup Irish whiskey

Strawberries for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-in. springform and dust with flour; tap out excess.
2. In medium saucepan, combine water, dates, and baking soda. Bring to boil, and then remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then alternately fold in flour, dates, and vanilla. Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean.
5. To make the sauce, combine cream, brown sugar, and butter in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until sauce thickens. Stir in whiskey.
6. Remove cake from oven and let cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Spoon some sauce over top of cake and then release sides of the pan.
7. To serve, cut cake into slices and serve with additional sauce; garnish with strawberries. (Pudding and sauce can be made a day ahead; reheat sauce on stovetop or microwave until warm.)