Maple Pear Pudding Upside-down
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Less sweet maple-pear pudding; 8 to 10 portions. Pears stewed smooth with half water, half apple cider for more zing. Tapioca starch swaps corn starch for better texture in sauce. Cake base less flour, more oat flour for chew, honey instead of sugar to soften sweetness. Butter mixed with coconut oil for subtle fragrance. Vanilla swapped for almond extract, adding depth without overpowering maple. Cook 35 min in 175 °C oven; texture cues key, poke cake center gently. Sauce bubbling signals ready; cake edges turn golden. Serves warm or chilled. Comfort dessert, forgiving and adaptable for sugar tweaks or dairy-free shifts.
Prep:
28 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
Servings:
8 to 10 servings
#Canadian dessert
#fruit pudding
#fall baking
#tapioca
#maple syrup
#almond extract
#oat flour
Less sweet versions of maple pudding demand attention. Pears add fresh acidity—sweet enough but not cloying. Tried with only water, ended up flat; the swap to cider sharpens flavor, does not mask maple. Tapioca starch—sometimes overlooked—gives sauce that almost bouncy silkiness; corn starch can gum up or dull the sauce’s shine. Aged baking powder works better here: rise’s fluffier, cake denser but tender. Honey instead of white sugar provides moisture and subtle flavor complexity. Coconut oil alongside butter gives that toasted nuance, a faint nuttiness. Vanilla extract always decent, but almond shake adds intriguing warmth without overt aromatics. Texture’s key—don’t overbake. The edges crisp a little, center still moist. Serve warm for gooey sauce, or cold if you want more structure. It’s been a road test with tweaks; these changes bring subtle balance, not disruption.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 ripe pears peeled, cored, chopped
- 200 ml water
- 175 ml apple cider
- 110 ml pure maple syrup
- 12 ml tapioca starch
Cake
- 130 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g oat flour
- 6 ml baking powder
- pinch salt
- 40 g unsalted butter softened
- 20 g coconut oil softened
- 60 ml honey
- 1 egg
- 85 ml milk or milk alternative
- 2 ml almond extract
About the ingredients
Pears must be ripe—adds natural sweetness and needed texture for smooth sauce. No pears? Use apples but reduce cider, they are tarter. Maple syrup quantity balanced to cut excessive sweetness; if you crave darker notes, swap half maple for dark brown sugar—but start small. Tapioca starch doesn’t clump as easily; crucial to dissolve it fully in the blender or sauce risks lumps. Flour mix: oat flour lends chewiness, makes cake less heavy. Coconut oil softens edges, adds aroma, but use high quality, unrefined for best effect. Milk can be any kind, dairy or nut-based; adjust slightly for hydration if very thick. Almond extract is potent; a little goes a long way. Butter—unsalted essential to control salt. If dairy-free, replace butter with vegan margarine, milk by almond milk. Honey is swap for sugar; remember it browns faster, so watch your bake time.
Method
Cake
- First take a bowl; whisk together flours, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
- In separate bowl, cream butter and coconut oil with honey till pale and fluffy. Be patient; coarse oils need softening or chunks ruin texture.
- Add egg in, whip till fully mixed, all uniform.
- Slowly fold in dry mix alternating with milk and almond extract. Avoid overmixing; batter should look slightly lumpy but combined.
Sauce
- Blitz pears, water, cider, maple syrup, tapioca starch in blender till smooth; tapioca swells better on heat, gives silkier result than corn starch in my experience.
- Pour into saucepan; stir constantly on medium heat. Watch carefully—the sauce thickens and bubbles; this tells you starch has gelatinized. Remove from heat immediately to avoid lumpy sauce.
- Pour sauce into 2.5 L oven-safe dish, spread evenly.
- Using large spoon or ice cream scoop, dollop cake batter gently over hot sauce; don’t mix. Batter forms islands; don’t spread it out, keeps layers distinct.
- Place baking dish on rimmed tray for safety; oven spills happen and tray catches drips.
- Bake at 175 °C (350 °F), center rack, for 35–40 minutes. Surface golden, cake springs back lightly when pressed gently. If toothpick inserted, should come out with moist crumbs, no wet batter.
- Cool 10–15 min before serving. Warm is best; sauce bubbling gently when cut means sauce is viscous but not runny. Cold pudding firms up, flavor settles.
- To serve, scoop portions with both sauce and cake.
- Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated in airtight container; warm gently in microwave or oven before eating.
Cooking tips
Sauce is foundation; blend thoroughly, no chunks or grit. Heat on medium, whisk constantly; sauce thickens quickly, don’t walk away. Tap sauce surface, should jiggle but no liquid bubbles escaping after 2 mins heating. Pour into dish immediately. For batter, creaming butter and coconut oil with honey properly aerates and ensures rise. Mixing dry ingredients on low speed prevents gluten overdevelopment—crumbly mess avoided. Alternate wet and dry adds moist crumb, prevents dense cake. Dolloping batter onto hot sauce creates barrier: cake rises on top, sauce glues underneath. Baking on rimmed tray avoids oven messes; syrupy sauce bubble-ups get sticky fast. Test doneness with touch, toothpick, and look for golden edges—cake surface can feel firm but inside soft. Cooling 10 minutes is a must; sauce sets a bit, easier to slice. Leftovers reheat well; sauce sometimes thickens—add splash milk to loosen when warming. No overbaking; it kills moistness.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Pears must be ripe. Texture matters for smooth sauce; underripe gives grit, overripe becomes mushy. Blend well—no chunks. Tapioca starch doesn’t clump like corn starch; still dissolve fully. Watch sauce on medium heat; thickening happens fast. Bubbles, jiggle signal gelatinized starch. Pull off heat right then.
- 💡 When creaming butter with coconut oil and honey, take time. Oils can stay grainy if rushed. Butter temperature essential—too cold, won’t combine, too warm, wet mix. Cream to pale, fluffy stage to trap air, aiding rise. If mix looks oily or separated, keep going, patience overrides speed.
- 💡 Dry mix folding with wet needs rhythm. Alternate flour mix with milk and almond extract, do not overmix. Slight lumps okay; batter should still look just combined. Overworked gluten makes crumb tough; crumbliness avoided here by gentle spatula work, not electric mixer.
- 💡 Dollop cake batter over warm sauce, create islands. Don’t spread or swirl; layers stay separate. Batter heats unevenly otherwise. Using large spoon or ice cream scoop helps keep clumps intact. Oven safe dish sits on rimmed tray; catches any syrup spillovers, prevents mess.
- 💡 Bake cues are visual and tactile. Edges golden, surface firm but springy. Toothpick inserted yields moist crumbs, not wet batter. Sauce bubbling gently when cut—viscous but not runny—is good heat marker. Cooler pudding firms up, flavors settle deeper. Leftovers refrigerate airtight max 2 days, reheat carefully, thin with milk if thickened.
Common questions
Can I use apples instead of pears?
Yes, but reduce apple cider; apples tarter, can overpower maple. Texture differs, sauce less silky. Blend thorough to avoid gritty bits. Try sweeter apple varieties for balance.
Why tapioca starch not corn starch?
Tapioca swells better, keeps sauce silkier, less gummy. Corn starch can dull sheen, clumps easier. Dissolve tapioca fully to avoid lumps. Heat watch crucial; sauce thickens quickly, no overheat.
What if cake too dense or dry?
Likely overmix or baking too long. Avoid beating batter after adding flour. Oven temp sometimes varies, check earlier. Honey browns faster; adjust bake time. Moisture from milk key; substitute dairy carefully—nut milk absorbs differently.
How to store leftovers?
Airtight container fridge max 2 days. Sauce thickens cold—reheat gently microwave or oven, add splash milk to loosen. Cake can dry if overheated, reheat slow. Freezing not ideal; sauce texture changes.
