Maple Pudding Cake (Pudding Chômeur)

So somehow I tried out this recipe back in November and then it totally fell into a black hole in my memory and I moved on. Not because it wasn’t awesome, but…Thanksgiving maybe? Early senility? Wine?

Anyway, I had been weirdly fascinated by this recipe since finding it on Smitten Kitchen, despite the fact that caramel isn’t generally for me. But I do love pudding, and I do love sweet biscuit dough (which is essentially what this is), so really it should have been a home run.

Which, if you can’t tell from the glorious pictures, it was. It’s an odd little dessert, but quite easy and quite unique. I was a little obsessed. It’s strangely similar to a peach cobbler, but…caramel.

It was even surprisingly good re-heated the next day—a bit more dense and crystalized, less pudding-y, but still a delight. All-in-all, this is an interesting addition to the dessert arsenal.

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a medium saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, cream, cider vinegar, and a pinch or two of salt, and bring it to a boil.

Then reduce the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t be worried if it looks a bit curdled at first from the vinegar, it will all cook smoothly in the end. Once it’s finished, set aside while you prepare the dough.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. A mixer is ideal, but I was lazy and just used elbow grease.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping down bowl. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the mixture, then fold together with a spatula. The batter will be super thick (as you can see from the pic).

Divide 2/3 of the maple syrup sauce into 6 individual baking dishes or ramekins, or pour it into one 8-inch round skillet or cake pan.

Divide the dough into 6 mounds and drop one of each into each ramekin, or spread them out in the larger dish. Pour the remaining syrup sauce over the dough.

Bake until the cakes are firm and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let them sit for about 10 minutes and serve warm, dolloped with crème fraîche or unsweetened whipped cream, plus extra sea salt, to taste. Reheat before serving any leftovers. Mmmmm caramelized sugar…

Maple Pudding Cake (Pudding Chômeur)

• 3/4 cup of pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• A couple pinches of sea salt
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea or table salt
• To serve: crème fraîche and more sea salt, to taste

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cream, cider vinegar, and a pinch or two of salt, and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t be worried if it looks a bit curdled at first from the vinegar, it will all cook smoothly in the end. Set aside while you prepare the dough.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping down bowl. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the mixture, then fold together with a spatula. The batter will be super thick.

Divide 2/3 of the maple syrup sauce into 6 individual baking dishes or ramekins, or pour it into one 8-inch round skillet or cake pan. Divide the dough into 6 mounds and drop one of each into each ramekin, or spread them out in the larger dish. Pour the remaining syrup sauce over and bake until the cakes are firm and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Let sit for about 10 minutes and serve warm, dolloped with crème fraîche or unsweetened whipped cream, plus extra sea salt, to taste. Reheat before serving any leftovers.

Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen