Sticky Toffee Pudding Vegan? Yes, it can be done!

Some say it cannot be done. I’m here to tell you that it can and that it is delicious and that it could not be easier. I served this to a friend for whom Sticky Toffee Pudding is irresistible. He could not believe it was vegan.  It is good warm or cold (the next day), with or without soy custard, non-dairy ice cream, soy single cream or even this wonderfully delicious and easy to make caramel sauce (I added a tablespoon each of vanilla and rum to the sauce after removing it from the heat for some extravagance).
Recipe (as adapted from one I saw in The Guardian some time ago) after the photos.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

• 110ml of rapeseed oil
• 175g of light brown sugar
• either 12 Tablespoons of aquafaba, or 4 flax eggs or even Orgran No Egg , beaten to a froth 
• 225g of self-raising flour
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp of Camp Coffee syrup
• 275ml of water, boiling
• 250g dates, stoned and chopped

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a loose bottomed round cake tin (18 cm/7 inch), or equivalent glass square if that’s all you have, with greaseproof paper. Mix together the rapeseed oil and sugar, then slowly add well aerated/beaten aquafaba/flax eggs/Orgran.

Fold in the sieved flour and set aside.

Meanwhile mix the bicarbonate of soda and Camp Coffee syrup and pour this over the dates, followed by the boiling water. Mix well, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then pour onto the creamed pudding mixture.

Bring together to create a very runny batter.

Pour into the prepared cake tin, cover with tin foil or greaseproof paper, but make sure you leave LOTS of room at the top because the cake will rise and stick to the foil or paper. After 30 or 40 minutes, check to see whether it’s done by carefully uncovering it, then inserting a tester (wooden toothpick) and seeing if it comes out clean. If the cake is not yet done, put back in the oven uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. At the end of those 10 minutes, check the cake. If it’s still not quite done, but it’s almost there, then just turn off the oven and place the cake back in for the last 10 minutes.

If you’re using a deep, round, cake tin, then it will take 50-60 minutes, while a shallower glass baking tray will be ready in approximately 40.  Cooking times also vary according to your oven and if you start smelling the cake, it may be done, so check it!