Creamy maple dessert

This famous maple cake from Québec has a crazy soft bite and gets soaked in gooey maple sauce. When you bake it, the sauce turns almost caramelly and sticky, making every spoonful melt in your mouth.

Honestly I put this maple pudding cake on the table every spring when we get maple fever in Québec. Everyone's amazed how easy it is and can't believe something local like this packs so much cozy goodness.

Sweet Maple Ingredients

Sauce essentials

• Brown sugar: brings a deep sweetness with a hit of molasses vibe
• Maple syrup: pick grade A if you want the real deal taste
• 35% cream: makes the sauce smooth and insanely rich

What you need for the cake

• Egg: let it sit out till room temp, it blends in way better
• Milk: adds the right amount of moisture to keep things soft
• Vanilla extract: real vanilla gives the flavor a nice punch
• Canola oil: locks in that fluffy bite, better than butter here
• Sugar: doesn't let the cake get too sweet
• Salt: brightens all the sweet notes
• Baking powder: helps the cake rise up nicely
• Unbleached all-purpose flour: use a good quality one to keep your cake light

Simple Step-by-Step Method

First, prep the oven

Slide your oven rack into the middle and get it going at 180°C. That way your cake bakes even and the sauce doesn't burn to the bottom.

Sauce time

Pour cream, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a small pot. Heat it up, stirring so nothing sticks, until it bubbles. Let it gently simmer for exactly five minutes. The sauce should get a bit thicker but pour easily.

Making the cake batter

Grab two bowls. One for the dry stuff: mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a bigger bowl, whisk up the egg, oil, vanilla, and sugar fast until it's a pale and fluffy mix.

Combining everything

Add your dry mix into the wet bowl in three parts, swapping out with the milk as you go. Always start and end with the dry stuff. Stir just until mixed—don't overmix unless you like rubbery cake.

Put it all together

Spoon the batter into a greased 20 cm square pan and spread it out to the edges. Slowly pour the hot sauce over the batter, using the back of a spoon to keep it from splashing a hole in your cake mix.

Bake and cool

Bake for 25 minutes. It's done when the top's golden and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. The sauce will look runny under the cake—that's how it should be. Let it chill for at least 15 minutes before serving so the sauce sets up just enough.

Maple syrup totally steals the show here. I grew up next to a Québec sugar shack, and this kind of dessert always reminds me of my grandma, who used to whip up her pudding in a big old cast iron pan on a woodstove. Total comfort food.

Pin it

Storing and Rewarming

Pop the cake in an airtight container and it'll keep fine in the fridge for three days. To heat it back up, cover and bake in the oven at 150°C for 15 minutes or microwave slices solo for 30 to 45 seconds. Pour more warm maple syrup on top when you serve if you want extra sauciness.

Regional Twists

Back in the day, this treat was only made with brown sugar. Women in Québec during the tough years of the 1930s created it to feed their families when money was short. Maple syrup only entered the mix later, once it was easier to get. In some places, folks like to toss in apples or cranberries for a fruity change.

Serving Ideas

If you want the full Québec experience, serve your maple pudding cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream so it melts into the hot sauce. A spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream is a perfect match and can tone down all that richness too.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ How can I make the cake fluffy?

For a light and fluffy cake texture, mix the sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg thoroughly before slowly adding the dry mix alternated with milk. This adds air to the batter.

→ Can I swap maple syrup with something else?

Maple syrup gives the authentic flavor, but you can swap it with honey or glucose syrup for a different twist.

→ How should I serve this dessert?

Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of fresh cream for extra indulgence.

→ Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes, prepare it in advance and warm it gently in the oven before serving to enhance the sauce's texture.

→ Is there a lighter version of this dish?

If you’re looking for a lighter option, use 15% cooking cream instead of 35% and cut down a bit on the brown sugar in the sauce.