Barbecue Baked Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

1. Combine the boiling water, baking soda, and pitted dates, stirring to mix.
2. Preheat the grill to 350°F, preparing to use the indirect method of cooking to bake the cake. If you have a baking stone, place that onto the cooking grids where you will be placing the cake pans. It will help evenly distribute heat in your grill while baking.
3. Prepare three 6-inch, or two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick and parchment.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. In a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until they are incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
6. Using the low setting on your mixer, add half of the flour mixture, then steam in any liquid that is remaining in the bowl with the soaking dates. Add in the remaining flour mixture until it is just combined.
7. Using a fork, mash the soaked dates, then fold them into the batter along with any remaining water.
8. Divide the batter as evenly as possible between the cake pans, then bake, using indirect heat, for between 25 and 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
9. PRO TIP: If you have three burners or fewer, very gently rotate the cakes halfway through baking to ensure they are getting even amounts of heat on all sides.
10. Cool the cakes on a rack for at least 20 minutes before removing them from the cake pans. Cool them completely before icing.

Whisky Cream Frosting

1. While the cakes are baking make the frosting. Place the egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer, or use a hand mixer, and whisk the eggs and butter to combine.
2. Bring a saucepan of water to a light simmer using your side burner on the grill. You can also do this on your stove. Once the water is simmering, place the bowl over top to create a double boiler. Use a thermometer to watch the temperature and stir the mixture periodically until a temperature of 155 to 160°F is reached.
3. PRO TIP: Lacking a candy thermometer, I used the probe from a digital BBQ thermometer. If temperature is still off, once the mixture reaches a very smooth and almost melted-marshmallow-like consistency, you can pull it from the heat.
4. Remove the mixture from the double boiler and, using a whisk attachment, whip the egg white mixture until medium peaks form. This is when the mixture will hold its shape well, but the tip of the peak will curl over.
5. With the mixture on low add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Then add the whisky. Turn the speed up once the whisky is added and mix until the frosting is glossy and luxurious. This takes a few minutes, so don’t loose heart.
6. PRO TIP: If you make this ahead and chill it because you are waiting for the cakes to cool completely, just whip it up again to bring back the fluffy texture.

Maple Toffee Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring the heat up and allow the mixture to come to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. You can do this using the side burner or sear station on your barbecue, or an element on your stove.
2. Once simmering, add the cream. Continue to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
3. Remove the sauce from heat and allow it to cool until the perfect consistency for your preferences. The hotter it is, the more runny it will be.

Assembly

1. Once all of the layers are nice and cool, trim the tops to ensure that they are flat. Ice them with a healthy dollop of the Whisky Cream Frosting. Drizzle a little of the Maple Toffee Sauce in between the layers before stacking, but not enough to go over the sides.
2. Stack the layers and ice the top with another healthy dollop of Frosting. Use any remaining Frosting to coat the sides lightly.
3. Drizzle the top with the Maple Toffee Sauce so that it coats the top and drips down the sides. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

The cake itself is at once dense but light with a not-too-sweet crumb. The Frosting and the Maple Toffee Sauce are where the big flavor comes from. This recipe for Barbecue Baked Sticky Toffee Pudding is a must for any special occasion. Whether it’s someone’s birthday or for dessert on your favorite holiday, this cake is sure to inspire lovely memories of both the Scottish Highlands and chilly evenings in Muskoka. What desserts do you love to make on the barbecue? Share your best BBQ dessert recipes and photos on our social pages like Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.

Happy Grilling!