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Cape brandy pudding
Cape brandy pudding: warm date and walnut pudding soaked in a buttery brandy syrup
Sometimes called tipsy tart, this baked pudding of dates and walnuts drenched in a hot brandy and butter syrup is what Cape Town and Winelands families bring out for Sunday lunch in winter and for Christmas. It contains brandy, and because the brandy goes into the syrup off the heat most of the alcohol stays, so serve it to adults only; the ingredient note gives an alcohol-free rooibos or orange syrup for everyone else. Expect a dark, sticky, cake-like sponge that is almost wet at the bottom, with crunchy walnuts and a warm caramel and spice flavour, served with custard, cream or vanilla ice cream. The mistake is pouring the syrup over a cooled pudding, which then won't absorb it. Chef's tip: prick the hot pudding all over with a skewer and pour the hot syrup on slowly, letting each ladle sink in before adding the next.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pudding
- 9 oz pitted dateschopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoftened, plus extra for the dish
- 5 ½ oz soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
For the brandy syrup
- 9 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 oz butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup brandyalcohol-free: use 125 ml strong rooibos tea, or fresh orange juice with the grated zest of 1 orange
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 23 cm square or 2 litre ovenproof dish.
Step 2: Put 9 oz pitted dates in a bowl, pour over 1 cup boiling water and stir in 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; it will foam. Leave to soften and cool slightly.
10 minStep 3: Cream 2 ⅛ oz butter and 5 ½ oz soft brown sugar until light, then beat in 2 eggs one at a time.
4 minStep 4: Sift in 7 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and fold through, then stir in the dates with all their liquid and 3 ½ oz walnuts. The batter will be quite runny.
Step 5: Pour into the dish and bake until risen, dark golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
40 minStep 6: While it bakes, put 9 oz sugar, ¾ cup water, 1 oz butter and 1 cinnamon stick in a pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3 minStep 7: Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly syrupy, then take off the heat, remove the cinnamon and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and ½ cup brandy (or the rooibos or orange alternative).
5 minStep 8: As soon as the pudding comes out, prick it all over with a skewer and slowly pour the hot syrup over, letting it soak in before adding more. Leave to stand for 15 minutes so it drinks up every drop.
15 minStep 9: Serve warm in squares with custard, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cape brandy pudding take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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