Step 3: Mix the dough
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and slightly fluffy. Add one egg and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining egg and do the same.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the milk. The batter will be thick and spreadable, similar to soft biscuit dough.
Editor’s Tip: If you add the egg too quickly, the batter may start to look slightly curdled. This is no problem. Just mix in the dry ingredients as usual and it should all come together nicely.
Step 4: Make the cake
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared dish. Slowly pour the warm maple sauce over the batter. Do not stir.
Editor’s Tip: The batter will rise through the sauce during baking, like magic! If you’re worried about overflow from the baking dish, you can place the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.
Step 5: Bake the cake
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the edges are caramelized and the center is just set. Let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
Poor Man’s Pudding Variations
Make it less pricey: Maple and heavy cream are a delicious, but sometimes costly, duo. To make a less expensive sauce, use 2/3 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup whole milk and 3 tablespoons butter.
Add some smoke: Using smoked salt—and even smoked maple syrup—can give this cake an extra dimension.
Try it with apples: When making the sauce, use 1/4 cup apple cider in place of 1/4 cup cream, and place a layer of sliced apples on top of the batter before adding the sauce. This iteration begs for the addition of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the cake too.
How to Store Poor Man’s Pudding
Thoroughly wrap your cake pan or pop the extra pieces into a snap-top container for storage. If you’re going to finish the dessert within a day, you can keep it on the counter. Any longer and it should stay in the fridge.
How long does poor man’s pudding last?
You can store poor man’s pudding in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Poor Man’s Pudding Tips
How should you serve poor man’s pudding?
This cake is excellent warm just a few minutes out of the oven, but it’s quite nice cold, as the caramel gets even more gooey. Since it’s very sweet, you don’t really need to make this a dessert a la mode, but some unsweetened whipped cream would be lovely. If you’re offering more than one dessert, choose a second that is a bit tart and not too sweet, like apple pie.
What should you serve for dinner, knowing poor man’s pudding is for dessert?
I love to pair a meal and a dessert from the same cuisine, so I like to serve poor man’s pudding after a dinner of old-fashioned baked beans, slow-cooker split pea soup, an easy baked omelette or tourtière (aka French Canadian meat pie). If you want to go full “poor man” at your meal, try offering poor man’s steak or poor man’s casserole for the main dish.
Ingredients
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
batter:
12 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons whole milk
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9-in. square baking dish.
2
In a large saucepan heat maple syrup, cream, butter and salt over medium heat. Warm just until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth; do not boil. Remove from the heat; keep warm.
3
Cream butter and sugar until pale and slightly fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating until incorporated.
4
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture; stir until just combined. Stir in milk until the batter is thick like biscuit dough. Spread in the prepared baking dish. Slowly pour the warm maple sauce over the batter; do not stir. Place on a baking sheet.
5
Bake 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the edges are caramelized and the center is just set with a slight wobble. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 514 calories, 29g fat (18g saturated fat), 119mg cholesterol, 443mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (39g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
ADVERTISEMENT
