Ingredients
Cake
- 250 gplain flour
- 150 gsugar
- 2 tspbaking powder
- ½ tspsalt
- 80 gbutter, softened
- 1egg
- 200 mlmilk
- 1 tspvanilla
Syrup
- 400 mlmaple syrup
- 200 mldouble cream
- 60 gbutter
- or 300 g brown sugar with 300 ml water, for the older version
To serve
- vanilla ice cream
- or cold cream
Directions
- Make the syrup first: bring the maple syrup, cream and butter to a boil in a pan. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then take it off the heat.
- Keep the syrup hot. Cold syrup poured over batter sits on top and never separates properly, and the whole effect depends on the temperature difference. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt alternately with the milk. Stop mixing the moment the flour disappears, because an overworked batter bakes heavy. Spread the batter in a buttered deep dish, about 20 by 25 cm, and level it.
- Use a deep dish with high sides, because the syrup bubbles up fiercely and a shallow one overflows in the oven. Now pour the hot syrup gently over the batter.
- Pour it over the back of a spoon, slowly, spreading it across the whole surface rather than in one spot. Pouring gently is what keeps the batter as an intact layer underneath.
- Put the dish on a tray to catch any overflow. Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 35 to 40 minutes. It is done when the top is golden and set and springs back, and the syrup is bubbling thickly at the edges.
- Let it stand 10 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly. Serve it hot, spooned out so each portion gets cake from the top and sauce from the bottom. It must be served hot. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a pour of cold cream, which is standard in Quebec.
Technique
- It reheats well in a low oven with a splash of cream.
- Some recipes use only maple syrup and no cream, which gives a thinner sauce.
- It is closely related to a self-saucing pudding, which works on the same principle.
Substitutions
- Brown sugar and water in place of maple syrup, which is the older version.
- Evaporated milk in place of cream.
Variations
- The brown sugar version, which is the original.
- Made in individual ramekins.
- With apples layered under the batter.
History
Created in Quebec during the Great Depression; the name means unemployed man’s pudding, since cheap flour and syrup replaced costly cake ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pouding chômeur?
Pouding chômeur is a dessert from Canada: hot cake baked under maple or brown sugar syrup that sinks into pudding. Created in Quebec during the Great Depression; the name means unemployed man’s pudding, since cheap flour and syrup replaced costly cake ingredients.
How long does Pouding chômeur take to make?
Pouding chômeur takes 15 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Pouding chômeur?
Yes, within limits. Brown sugar and water in place of maple syrup, which is the older version. Evaporated milk in place of cream.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pouding chômeur?
Keep the syrup hot. Cold syrup poured over batter sits on top and never separates properly, and the whole effect depends on the temperature difference. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla.
