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Baked Sticky Rhubarb Pudding

Baked sticky rhubarb pudding with moist sponge cake soaked in sticky toffee sauce and studded with diced rhubarb. Serve it warm with toffee sauce pooling on the plate for a classic British comfort dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
resting/cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

pudding
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cup fresh rhubarb, diced
toffee sauce
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.25 cup butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Bake the sticky rhubarb pudding
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish so the sponge releases easily after baking.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and lighter in color.
  4. Add the dry mixture alternating with buttermilk, mixing just until the batter looks thick and smooth.
  5. Fold in fresh rhubarb, diced, so the pieces are evenly distributed through the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is set.
Make the toffee sauce and soak
  1. While the pudding bakes, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until glossy.
  2. Let the pudding rest for 10 minutes to cool slightly, then poke holes across the warm top so sauce can soak in.
  3. Pour half the toffee sauce over the warm pudding so it pools in the holes and soaks into the sponge.
  4. Serve with the remaining toffee sauce and ice cream, letting the sauce run over the pudding on the plate.

Notes

Pro tip: rest the pudding only 10 minutes—warm sponge soaks the toffee sauce better than piping-hot batter. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the rhubarb texture softens after thawing. For a lighter option, use low-fat buttermilk and reduce the sauce by serving slightly less over each portion.