Name: Vegan sticky toffee pudding
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 200g pitted dates; 2 tsp ground psyllium husks; 140g soft dark brown sugar; 160g vegan butter, at room temperature; 150ml plant milk; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 50ml vegetable oil; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 175g plain flour; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground ginger; 80g raw cashews; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 180g soft dark brown sugar; 75g vegan butter

Ingredients

200g pitted dates
2 tsp ground psyllium husks
140g soft dark brown sugar
160g vegan butter, at room temperature
150ml plant milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
50ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g plain flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

SAUCE

80g raw cashews
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g soft dark brown sugar
75g vegan butter

Method

STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and butter a deep 20m x 20cm baking tray or brownie tin.
STEP 2
In a bowl, cover the dates with 150ml of just-boiled water and leave to sit for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the ground psyllium husks with 2 tbsp of water. Mix well and leave to thicken.
STEP 3
In a measuring jug, combine the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix together and leave to thicken (don’t worry if it curdles slightly).
STEP 4
Beat together the sugar and butter with electric beaters then add the plant milk mixture, vegetable oil and vanilla. Beat to combine (don’t worry if the mixture looks split).
STEP 5
Once the dates have soaked, add the soaked psyllium husk mixture and use a hand blender to whizz to a paste. Add the paste to the sugar and butter mixture, and beat to combine.
STEP 6
Mix together the remaining pudding ingredients. Add to the batter and beat gently and very briefly until just combined (don’t overwork the batter). Pour or spoon the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
STEP 7
Meanwhile, make the sauce by putting the cashews into a high-speed blender and pouring in 240ml of just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Once soaked, blitz the cashews and the water together until very smooth and creamy.
STEP 8
Put the dark brown sugar and vegan butter into a pan and heat until the butter is melted, stirring frequently. Add 150g of the cashew cream, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, whisking, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is simmering gently and becoming darker and thickened.
STEP 9
Once the pudding is cooked, allow it to cool for 15 minutes before gently pricking 20 times with a cocktail stick. Pour half the toffee sauce over the sponge while still in the tin. Slice and serve with ice cream and a drizzle of the remaining sauce, if you like.