Pouding Chômeur

Pouding Chômeur is a simple vanilla cake batter baked over a bubbling maple cream sauce. This saucy, decadent cake has a similar texture to a thick, airy, syrup soaked pancake. The French name Pouding Chômeur translates to “pudding of the unemployed” and is said to have come from female factory workers in Québec who created the pudding during the Great Depression. Québec produces 70-75% of the world's maple syrup, so naturally the most beloved dessert of the province uses its fair share of liquid gold.

This recipe uses a deep, robust syrup from Mount Mansfield Maple, just over the border from Québec in Winooski, Vermont- the state producing 10-12% of the world's maple. Mount Mansfield Maple is a Vermont farm that taps maple sap across over one thousand acres at the base of Mount Mansfield. They don’t just harvest from the land, but work to protect and steward the ecosystem and wildlife. This recipe uses their full-bodied dark syrup for a deep, robust maple flavor.

Ingredients

For the sauce-

Mount Mansfield Organic Pure Vermont Maple Syrup, Dark Color

For the cake-

Hayden Flour Mills All Purpose Flour

LAFAZA Organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set a 9-in square baking pan over a large baking sheet to prevent spilling.

For the sauce: In a saucepan, whisk the maple syrup and heavy cream together. Gently bring to a boil and whisk frequently. Turn off the heat, add salt, and pour the sauce into the prepared baking dish.

For the cake: In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one. With the beater on low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients, then mix in the milk and vanilla , and finally add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Spoon the cake batter over the hot sauce in the baking pan.

Bake the pudding for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Serving: Enjoy the pudding warm, with a sprinkle of flaky salt like Maldon, and vanilla ice cream or gelato.