This Starbucks Dark Toffee Bundt is a homemade copycat recipe that you will love baking at home. This cake is rich, moist, and packed with the caramel-y magic of dates and a sweet spice glaze that screams "cozy!" Perfect for dessert, a coffee pairing, or any moment that needs a little yum.
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This season, I've been obsessed with the Starbucks 2024 holiday menu lineup! They brought back our classic favorites (hello cranberry bliss bar) and even threw in some new additions. Definitely check out my Turkey Sage Danish copycat recipe if you're in the mood for a savory baked good from the holiday menu.
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This dark toffee bundt cake is a great addition to their holiday lineup, and I hope that they bring it back in future years! It's a mini-cake that has lots of complex flavors thanks to the addition of date paste.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick to prep: Easy steps mean you can whip this up in no time!
- Coffeehouse vibes at home: Save a trip to Starbucks (and a few bucks).
- Rich flavors: Dates and spices combine to create a decadent, unique dessert.
- Perfect for sharing: Bundt cakes are showstoppers, ideal for gatherings or gifting.
What is a toffee cake
Sticky toffee cake is a moist British dessert made with a sponge cake, dates, and toffee sauce. The Starbucks version of this cake on their holiday menu features date paste as the second ingredient.
The cake is moist and flavorful, thanks to a date paste that gives it a deep toffee-like flavor. Topped with a warm glaze and festive sprinkles, it's a cozy treat perfect for impressing your guests or upgrading your coffee break.
I especially love this cake because it's not too sweet. Thanks to the addition of dates, this recipe only uses 1 ⅓ cup of sugar.
Key ingredients
This recipe keeps it simple yet packed with flavor. Here are the stars of the show.
Medjool Dates: The secret to that irresistible caramel flavor and extra moist texture. If your dates are not pitted, do not forget to remove the pits!
Unsalted Butter: For a creamy, rich base that enhances the sweetness. If you have salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
Holly & Berry Sprinkles: I found some sprinkles on Amazon that looked just like the ones that Starbucks uses. However, you'd be fine using any version of the sprinkles that you like!
Heather's helpful hints
- Date paste pro-tip: Don't skip letting it cool before blending; warm paste can make your blender cry.
- Even baking: Fill the bundt pan cavities evenly to avoid overcooking smaller cakes.
- Glaze perfection: Brush the glaze on while the cake is slightly warm to let it soak in beautifully.
Step-by-step instructions
This recipe is simple! Here's a quick rundown-detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Simmer dates with water, blend, and cool.
- Step 2: Blend the dates into a paste.
- Step 3: Cream butter and sugar, add dry ingredients, and mix in the date paste.
- Step 4: Combine the cooled dates and the butter mixture.
- Step 5: Fill the bundt pan with batter.
- Step 6: Bake and brush the top with glaze.
Variations
This recipe is a fantastic copycat, but that doesn't mean that you can't get creative with things!
For a more complex flavor, you can swap out the water with another liquid. You could use a flavored juice or even add a flavored liqueur.
I think toasted nuts would be fantastic in these cakes. Or even some miniature chocolate chips.
And if you love the flavor, but don't have the pan, you could just bake these ini a mini muffin pan. I'd reduce the baking time and start checking on them at 8-10 minutes.
Make ahead and storage
You can prepare the date paste up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge. The baked bundt cakes stay moist at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze unglazed cakes for up to 3 months and thaw overnight before glazing.
Bundlette Pan
The key to making these cakes in the exact same shape as Starbucks is to get the right pan. Nordic Ware has a Heritage Bundlette Pan that is the exact same shape! It's similar to the pan that I used to make these almond mini bundt cakes.
The heritage bundlette pan has a four to five-cup capacity with six cavities. For this recipe, you can fill the pan twice, making 12 mini-cakes.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Just adjust the bake time to 45-55 minutes.
Use regular dates, but soak them longer to soften.
You could, but why miss out on extra flavor?
Related recipes
If you're in the mood for more Starbucks recipes, check out these favorites from My Sweet Precision!
Not sure what to try? Check out our complete recipe index to search for recipes, baking tips, and more!
Recipe
Starbucks Dark Toffee Bundt
Equipment
- 1 bundtlette pan five-cup capacity (six cavities)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups Medjool dates 13 ounces, pitted
- 2 cups water
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
- ⅓ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- holly and berry sprinkles
Instructions
Making the Date Paste
- If dates are not pitted, cut them open and remove the pits. Combine the dates and water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, and then remove from the stove.
- Allow the mixture to cool before transferring to a small bender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a container to cool completely.
Making the Cakes
- Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 20 minutes before baking your mini cakes. Spray your bundtlette pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda).
- In a stand mixer, add the room-temperature butter and sugar. Starting on low, and increasing to high, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes, or until lightened in color. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. Add the date paste, and incorporate, but do not over-mix. Your batter will be runny, and that's okay.
- Pour batter into your prepared pan, filling each cavity about three-quarters full. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Glazing the Cakes
- While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the water, spices, and sugar. Set aside.
- Remove the cake from the oven, cool it in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack.
- Brush the cake with the glaze and garnish with sprinkles.
Notes and Tips
- This recipe makes enough for 12 bundlettes. Store extra batter in the fridge, until you are ready to use again.
- The date paste can be made in advance and allowed to cool in the fridge. I made mine one day in advance.
Steve S says
Hello. I was really glad to find this recipe, since I loved the Starbucks version, and I was really disappointed when they stopped offering it. I looked around for a while, then forgot about wanting to make it, and then I found this recipe. I think the recipe, as-is, got me pretty close to the flavor that I remember. I thought that it wasn't quite an exact replica, but I made some adjustments and I think it gets about 90 - 95% of the way there. I'll tell you what I did, and you can try it if you want, and let me know what you think.
First, I think it helps to chop up the dates to small pieces, and go a little bit over the recommended amount. This exposes more surface area of the dates to the water, and the paste ends up being a little bit darker.
Next, I initially simmered the dates on a really low simmer. But I find that it's a bit better when I turn my burner down to low, and not to the simmer setting. This is somewhere between a simmer and a very low boil, and I have less liquid at the end. This yields a more concentrated flavor.
The third and final adjustment that I made that I really like, flavor-wise, is swapping out the granulated sugar for dark brown sugar. This really seems to boost the flavor and give it more of that "toffee" flavor that I remember from the Starbucks version.
As far as cooking time, my bundtlette pans might have smaller portions than yours, but I reduce the cooking time by quite a bit, and I make sure that the pans come out of the oven when the toothpick comes out either clean, or almost clean, erring on the side of a more moist mini bundt.
I can also share a technique that I have found to be quick, easy, and useful for filling the sections of the pan. Scoop the batter into an gallon plastic zip bag, like a freezer bag or an oven roasting bag, and snip one of the lower corners. This lets you easily squeeze the batter into the sections so that you can control it really well.
Anyway, these are minor adjustments for preference, and these adjustments are probably only for people who want it to be a bit more rich and a little darker, but I do think it gets a bit closer. Your recipe is really good, so I definitely don't mean to insult you! It's worth a 5-star rating. Thank you for sharing this one. It instantly became a family favorite, with or without my recent modifications!
Heather says
Hi Steve! Thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful response! I really appreciated your tip about using dark brown sugar — that small change makes so much sense for bringing out a deeper, richer toffee flavor, and I can’t wait to try it myself. Your description of adjusting the simmering temperature and increasing the surface area of the dates was super insightful, and I love how intentional each of your modifications was. The piping tip with the zip-top bag is also such a handy idea — simple but so effective, and I know that will be incredibly helpful to others too. I’m really grateful you took the time to share all of this; I know other readers will enjoy and benefit from your feedback just as much as I did!
Steve S says
Thank you for your kind words. Since you took the time to share such a good recipe, it was the least I could do.
Sarah says
This is amazing, they look EXACTLY like the Starbuck's version. And you're totally right about the date paste. Some people have been saying the cake tastes kinda different, and I think this is exactly way. Simply brilliant!
Heather says
Yes! It's like the secret ingredient :)