Today is day 5 in our 12 Days of Christmas event and today we are going to teach you everything you need to know to make Homemade Sponge Toffee! Yep, the classic sponge toffee, made in your own kitchen and it’s easier than you think!
If you love this recipe you have to try my almond and cashew buttercrunch toffee, and my peppermint candy cane bark, too!
This stuff is legit. It tastes EXACTLY like the sponge toffee I used to get from the candy store when I was a kid. You know what I’m talking about, those huge bricks of sponge toffee wrapped in a thin plastic wrapper.
I LIVED for those bricks of sponge toffee. Now I can’t decide if it’s a good or a bad thing that I can mass produce it in my own kitchen…
Raise your hand if you were just as obsessed with this stuff as I was 🙋🏻♀️
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A few things you will need to make this recipe
How to make Homemade Sponge Toffee
First, line a 9”x13” glass baking dish with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper using a little bit of butter.
(I'll give you some tips and explain the easy way to grease parchment paper on this post)
These next two steps are just getting things ready for when the hot sugar mixture comes off of the stove. It is absolutely essential that you have everything prepared and ready to go before you start to make the toffee.
In a small bowl sift together the baking soda and cream of tartar, then set aside. It is important to actually sift these two ingredients together. This seems small and insignificant, but this is the mixture that is going to cause a chemical reaction with the hot sugar mixture. It needs to be well combined, and clump free because the reaction happens fast, and you don’t want to end up with clumps of baking soda in your sponge toffee!
Then, measure out the pure vanilla extract and place it in a small bowl.
A safety note before we begin
Working with candy can be dangerous.
If at any time the toffee bubbles over the edge of the pot, DO NOT ADD WATER. Adding water to a hot sugar mixture will cause it to rapidly boil and spatter. If it does bubble over the edge of the pot, you are best off to leave it where it is and clean it up when it has cooled off fully, be careful as it can burn you.
Do not touch the toffee before it is set, as it will be hot and sticky. It will instantly adhere to your skin and can cause serious severe burns.
Now we are ready to start making the sponge toffee!
In a large saucepan (use a larger saucepan than you think you need, the mixture bubbles up very quickly and you will need the extra room) add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir it together and place it over medium/high heat.
Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it just starts to bubble. When the mixture starts to bubble, stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.
Let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F on the candy thermometer.
After it has reached 300°F, remove the candy thermometer and remove the sugar mixture from the heat, transfer the pot to a large flat surface (put down a wooden cutting board or a large trivet on the surface as the pot will still be burning hot) in an area that is close to the lined baking dish.
(If the sugar mixture bubbles over during the chemical reaction, it is A LOT easier to clean it off of a counter after it has hardened than the stove)
Add the vanilla extract, and using a whisk, stir vigorously for 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble rapidly during this time.
Immediately after the vanilla is incorporated, sprinkle the sifted soda/cream of tartar mixture over top and whisk vigorously again for 5-10 seconds. The mixture will start to expand and bubble VERY QUICKLY during this step.
Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Do not touch or move the pan after the toffee mixture has been poured in, touching or moving it risks deflating the bubbles created in the mixture. You will notice that the mixture continues to expand for a couple of minutes until it is puffy. Remember to not touch it until it has cooled completely.
Now it needs to rest and set
Let the sponge toffee rest for at least 2 hours until it is fully cooled and set. The sponge toffee is fully set when it is firm and you can knock on it gently and it sounds hollow.
After the sponge toffee is set, melt the chocolate in a small microwave safe container, stirring after every 30 seconds until it is fully melted.
Pour the melted chocolate over top of the sponge toffee and use a spatula to spread it out.
Let the chocolate set by refrigerating the sponge toffee for around 15-30 minutes.
After the chocolate has set, remove the sponge toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
Place the block of sponge toffee on a large cutting board and using a butter knife firmly insert the butter knife vertically into the sponge toffee, twisting slightly to break it apart. Repeat in random spots until the sponge toffee is all broken up into pieces.
Easy *Magic* Clean Up
When you are done making this sponge toffee you will notice that the saucepan, the thermometer, and anything else you used will be covered in rock hard toffee candy. Don’t fret, there is an easy way to clean this all up!
Put everything that has hard candy on it into the saucepan that you made the sponge toffee in and cover it completely with water. Then, bring it to a boil on the stove. You will notice that all of the candy dissolves and disappears, just like magic. And now your utensils can be washed as normal!
Storage
Sponge Toffee can be stored in an airtight container and enjoyed for up to 1 week.
We hope you enjoyed the fifth day of Christmas, make sure to check back tomorrow morning at 8am MST for day six!
We hope our recipes can bring some joy into your homes during these times. Also, we put a lot of work into our recipes, so we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!
Check out the other recipes in our 12 Days of Christmas holiday event!
- First Day of Christmas- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Second Day of Christmas- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Third Day of Christmas- Almond & Cashew Buttercrunch Toffee
- Fourth Day of Christmas- Hot Buttered Rum
- Fifth Day of Christmas- Sponge Toffee
- Sixth Day of Christmas- Sweet & Spicy Holiday Chex
- Seventh Day of Christmas- Spicy Bacon Jam Brussel Sprouts
- Eighth Day of Christmas- Snickerdoodles
- Ninth Day of Christmas- Double Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Tenth Day of Christmas- Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms
- Eleventh Day of Christmas- Chocolate Cream Cookies
- Twelfth Day of Christmas-
We would love to see your sponge toffee creations on Instagram! Tag your creations from the 12 Days of Christmas using #whippeditup2020
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Sponge Toffee
A classic sponge toffee recipe, made in your own kitchen (and it’s easier than you think!)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Corn Syrup
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 4 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate, for topping (optional)
Instructions
It is important to read this entire recipe before you begin. The steps move fast, and you need to be ready to work fast with the candy.
- Line a 9”x13” glass baking dish with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper using a little bit of butter.
- In a small bowl sift together the baking soda and cream of tartar, set aside.
- Measure out the pure vanilla extract and place it in a small bowl.
- In a large saucepan (use a larger saucepan than you think you need, the mixture bubbles up very quickly) add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir together and place over medium/high heat.
- Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it just starts to bubble. Stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.
- Let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F on the candy thermometer.
- Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to an area that is close to the lined baking dish.
- Add the vanilla extract, and using a whisk, stir vigorously for 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble rapidly during this time.
- Sprinkle the soda/cream of tartar mixture over the top and whisk vigorously again for 5-10 seconds. The mixture will start to expand and bubble VERY QUICKLY.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Do not touch or move the pan after the toffee mixture has been poured in, touching or moving it risks deflating the bubbles created in the mixture. You will notice that the mixture continues to expand for a couple of minutes until it is puffy.
- Let the sponge toffee rest for at least 2 hours until it is fully cooled and set. The sponge toffee is fully set when it is firm and you can knock on it gently and it sounds hollow.
- After the sponge toffee is set, melt the chocolate in a small microwave safe container, stirring after every 30 seconds until it is fully melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate over top of the sponge toffee and use a spatula to spread it out.
- Let the chocolate set by refrigerating the sponge toffee for around 15-30 minutes.
- After the chocolate is set, remove the sponge toffee from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
- Place the block of sponge toffee on a large cutting board and using a butter knife firmly insert the butter knife vertically into the sponge toffee, twisting slightly to break it apart. Repeat in random spots until the sponge toffee is all broken up into pieces.
Notes
- Working with candy can be dangerous. Do not touch the toffee before it is set, as it will be hot and sticky. It will instantly adhere to your skin and can cause serious severe burns.
- Sponge Toffee can be stored in an airtight container and enjoyed for up to 1 week.
- To clean: You will notice that the toffee in the pot, on the thermometer, and anything else you used will be covered in rock hard toffee candy. Put everything that has hard candy on it into the pot that you made the sponge toffee in, cover it completely with water and bring to a boil on the stove. You will notice that all of the candy dissolves and your utensils can be washed as normal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 29gProtein: 0g
Please Note- The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
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Bonnie says
When I make sponge toffee, the baking soda does not get mixed in. This time I did stir more than usual and when I went to dump it out, there it was at the bottom. I know you aren’t supposed to stir much, what am I doing wrong?
Patricia Bell says
I have been wanting to make this and your recipe sounds perfect. And even tho I’m a seasoned cook I appreciate your little pointers and tips. Never know when you will learn something new! If I sealed this in my seal a meal how long do you think it would still be good? I would like to make ahead for holiday gifts. Thank you for sharing.