Bettina Camplolucci Bordi’s Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Custard

1. Preheat the oven to 190℃, gas mark 5 and line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Place the milk alternative and dates in a small pan and heat gently for 5-10 minutes until the dates have softened. Using a wire whisk, beat to break up the dates, then whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the brown sugar and coconut oil in a blender and whiz together until blended, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Halve the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the bowl, reserving the pod. Stir in the flour, spices, ginger and a pinch of salt, then add the date mixture and stir together well. Pour into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and firm.

3. While the pudding is baking, make the toffee sauce. Heat a pan over medium heat, add the brown sugar and coconut milk and let it heat through. Add the spices and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the caramel has thickened. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. A great way of knowing if it’s ready is to see if it sticks to the back of a spoon. Stir in a little salt and either use it immediately or let it cool down before storing in a sterilized glass jar – it will become even thicker as it cools.

4. To make the custard, blend the cornflour with a little bit of the coconut milk in a saucepan set over a medium heat, whisking until you have an even consistency. Then add the coconut milk, maple syrup and the reserved vanilla pod, whisking until the cornflour and vanilla are fully incorporated into the coconut milk and the custard starts to thicken. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, take it off the heat and allow to cool.

5. Once the cake is done, transfer to a wire rack to cool on the parchment. Slice and serve with the custard and a drizzle of the warm sticky toffee sauce.