Why Did My Toffee Sauce Split? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Our answer

Nigella's Banoffee Cheesecake (from KITCHEN) has an easy toffee sauce that is made from butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. The butter, sugar and syrup are melted together and should form a smooth sauce. When the sauce cools it should remain amalgamated.

If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out. It can also be caused by the mixture being heated unevenly (if the pan has a thin base and has hot spots). We would suggest using a heavy-based pan and heating the mixture slowly, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, then letting it come gradually to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it stand at room temperature to cool down. If the sauce has separated then warming it gently and stirring occasionally should help it to come back together. If it still has a film of fat on the surface after warming then whisking in a tablespoon of hot water (from a freshly boiled kettle) can also help.