Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes

Beautiful, rich yet completely moreish little cupcakes of pleasure.  They are such a treat, particularly when served with a dollop of softly whipped cream...

Makes 12 Large Cupcakes or 18 Smaller Fairy Cakes

Ingredients

100g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)

175g Light Muscovado Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 1 Large Egg

225g Plain Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

175g Dates, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

200ml Boiling Water

For the Toffee Topping

150g Light Muscovado Sugar

100g Butter

50ml Double Cream

 

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fan) and put paper cases into a bun/cupcake tin.
• Cream the butter and sugar together with the vanilla extract until fluffy then slowly whisk in the egg and half of the flour with the baking powder.
• In a separate small bowl, sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the finely chopped dates then pour over the boiling water.  Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Whisking slowly, carefully pour the dates and hot water into the cake mixture and add the rest of the flour, whisk until combined.
• Spoon the mixture carefully (it is quite runny) into the cake cases then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen, puffy and firm to the touch.
• While the cakes are cooling make the toffee sauce topping.  Put the sugar, butter and cream into a small pan and heat gently, stirring as it melts.  When it starts to bubble turn it down and let it simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.  After this time all the sugar should have dissolved and you will have a golden brown sauce, set this aside to cool and thicken.
• After about half an hour the sauce should be thick enough to spoon onto the cupcakes but not run straight off, leave it for longer if it's still too runny.  There should be ample sauce to generously cover all the cupcakes whilst leaving a little extra for the cook to try (just to check it's ok of course).