Maple Unemployed Pudding
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Maple syrup, cream, and a quick cake base baked together. Brown sugar replaced by muscovado. Oil swapped with melted coconut for a hint of tropical sweetness and less neutral fat. More flour, less sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon added. Baking temps adjusted. Sauce thickens extra. Timings slightly shortened. Pudding ends with sticky surface and moist crumb. Traditional Canadian dessert with a twist—comfort and sweetness in one. Simple pantry staples turned upscale with a little maple magic and texture shifts.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
30 min
Total:
42 min
Servings:
8 servings
#dessert
#Canadian
#comfort food
Maple syrup sticky, cream rich. Cake tender, not too sweet. Coconut oil adds slight fragrance, different from neutral. Cinnamon warming hint. Muscovado sugar darker, deeper flavor than plain brown. Cook sauce first, sauce thickens, coats cake during baking. Cake poofs up under sauce, soaking it up. Toothpick clean signals done. Cooling lets flavors settle, sauce sticky but less runny. Perfect fall dessert mood. Messy plate good sign. Maple essence shines front and center. Canadian roots with a tropical splash. Not fussy. Simple ingredients, fun feel. Cake and sauce one bite. Not layered or fancy, rustic charm. Quick to make, faster to disappear. Crowds like it. Pudding impression but cake inside. Dense, moist, sweet, comforting. Easy swap ingredients make it yours.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 290 ml (1 1/5 cup) cream 35 %
- 210 ml (7/8 cup) maple syrup
- 50 g (3 tbsp) muscovado sugar
Cake
- 150 g (1 cup plus 1 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
- 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) salt
- 70 g (5 tbsp) sugar
- 50 ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp) melted coconut oil
- 3 ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 85 ml (5 1/2 tbsp) milk
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
About the ingredients
Cream and maple syrup form base of sauce. Use good quality syrup for strong flavor. Muscovado sugar replaces regular brown sugar for deeper molasses note. Coconut oil melts smoother than vegetable oil, adds subtle tropical aroma but keep flavors balanced. Flour quantity increased to balance extra moisture from coconut oil. Cinnamon adds warmth; optional but recommended. Vanilla extract boosts aroma. Milk quantity slightly reduced to compensate for thicker batter. Baking powder provides lift, salt balances sweetness. Egg binds. Keep accurate measures for best consistency. Sauce ingredients boiled to thicken; don’t burn or overboil. Using unbleached flour ensures texture and color remain natural.
Method
Cake
- 1 Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- 2 Whisk sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and egg vigorously until combined.
- 3 Slowly add dry ingredients alternating with milk, beat on low speed just until smooth.
- 4 Pour batter into 20 cm square baking pan, spread evenly.
Sauce
- 5 In small saucepan, combine cream, maple syrup, muscovado sugar.
- 6 Bring to a boil, whisk constantly, simmer on medium 4 minutes until slightly thickened, remove from heat.
- 7 Carefully pour sauce evenly over cake batter in pan.
- 8 Bake in preheated 175 °C (350 °F) oven for 30 minutes.
- 9 Insert toothpick in center; if clean, done. Let cool on wire rack before serving.
Cooking tips
Dry and wet ingredients mixed separately then combined; prevents overmixing. Beat sugar and oil well for smoothness. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk to keep batter uniform. Pour batter quickly then sauce; sauce must still be hot or warm to properly soak cake during bake. Oven temperature lowered slightly to allow gradual rise and thorough cooking without overbrowning sauce. Bake until a toothpick inserts cleanly in center or slight moist crumbs cling; preserves moist texture. Cooling is essential; cake sets, sauce thickens more on cooling. Use wire rack to avoid sogginess underneath. Slice carefully; sticky sauce may drip. Serve warm or room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers tightly covered, reheat gently.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Use high-quality maple syrup. It makes a huge difference. Flavor impact strong. But don’t burn sauce. Watch carefully. Stir as needed. Coconut oil? Use melted. Smoother consistency. Give cake moisture boost.
- 💡 Cinnamon adds warmth, but optional. Balance sweetness with just a pinch. Cake mixes quick. Dry and wet together makes sense. Alternate ingredients. Dry, then wet. Stir too much? Cake will be dense; avoid that.
- 💡 Bake in clean space. Accurate measurement helps. Too much liquid? Batter will thin. Too little? Get dry bites. Cooling matters. Let cake settle before slicing. Sauce thickens while cooling. Keep ingredients at room temp.
- 💡 Slice careful. Sticky sauce drips. Don’t rush it. Leftovers? Tightly cover them. Refrigerate. Reheat gently in microwave. Too hot? Sauce separates. Slow method preserves texture. Feel free to swap milk for almond if preferred.
- 💡 If using gluten-free flour, different texture. Might need more liquid, checking consistency is key. Muffin pan works too. Adjust timing down. Individual servings nice for gatherings. Extra sauce? Serve warm on top.
Common questions
Can I use other oils?
Yes, but vary flavor impacts. Choose lighter oils. Not coconut? Olive could work. Flavors will change though. Keep that in mind.
What if my sauce separates?
Check cooking method first. Stir constantly. Too high heat? Graphic issues arise. Sauce thick but won’t emulsify? Start again.
How to store pudding?
Refrigerate leftovers. Covered tightly for best results. Want to freeze it? Use safe container, separates upon thawing.
Can I replace the egg?
Yes, use flaxseed meal or applesauce. Adjust liquid amount. Both options change flavors slightly. But works nice.
