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Maple-Whiskey Pudding Cakes
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These individual desserts bake up with a gooey sauce beneath a layer of rich, tender cake. We tried a few different types of whiskey here: our favorites were Jameson for its clean, bright flavor and Rittenhouse rye for its spicy depth. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve eight. Serve the pudding cakes warm, with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t stir the maple-whiskey syrup into the batter after dividing it among the batter-filled ramekins. With baking, the syrup will form a sauce at the bottom.
45 minutes
20 minutes active
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
6 tablespoons whiskey, divided
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, divided
Table salt
107 grams (½ cup) white sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
90 grams (¾ cup) pecans, toasted
65 grams (½ cup) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Ingredients
-
6
tablespoons maple syrup
-
1
teaspoon cider vinegar
-
6
tablespoons whiskey, divided
-
8
tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, divided
-
Table salt
-
107
grams (½ cup) white sugar
-
¼
cup whole milk
-
1
large egg
-
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
-
90
grams (¾ cup) pecans, toasted
-
65
grams (½ cup) all-purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon baking powder
Directions
-
01In a small saucepan over medium, combine ½ cup water, the maple syrup, vinegar, 4 tablespoons of whiskey, 2 tablespoons of butter and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
-
02In another small saucepan over medium, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Cook, swirling the pan, until the mild solids at the bottom are deep golden brown and the butter has the aroma of toasted nuts, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature.
-
03Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist four 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. When the butter is cool, whisk in the sugar, milk, egg, vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons whiskey. Set aside.
-
04In a food processor, process the pecans until finely ground and beginning to clump, 30 to 40 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt, then pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter mixture and pulse until a smooth, thick batter forms, about 5 pulses, scraping down the bowl once.
-
05Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins. Gently pour the maple mixture over the batter in each ramekin. Do not stir. Bake until the cakes are puffed and the centers jiggle only slightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving; the cakes will fall slightly as they cool.
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Reviews
December 31, 2022
Fantastic and satisfying dessert
I've made this recipe twice in the past three days. It is a huge hit in my family. After making the maple whiskey sauce, I pour the sauce into a silicon measuring cup and then use the same pan to brown the butter - so I have one less pan in the clean-up process. Although we all enjoy the pecan crunchiness, I plan to try making the pudding cakes again with walnuts for a change. This recipe is a keeper.
October 29, 2022
Easy and good
Simple, easy desserts that beat store bought items
December 24, 2022
substitution help-
Would love to know of a nut substitution, as I have a nut allergy. Thanks!
Hi Melanie and Barbara -
We haven't tested make ahead for these pudding cakes and, typically, these types of cakes so really lend themselves to making ahead. There are components that you could make ahead, though, that would speed up the process. You can make the maple sauce ahead, toast and chop the pecans and mix with the flour, baking powder, etc. and then measure out all of the remaining ingredients. The butter can be browned ahead and cooled but you will have to be careful not to let it cool too long or it will solidify.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Ramekins seem to come in all sizes. What size are the ones used in this recipe? 6oz is what I read but what about the dimensions? Doesn't look like they're wide and shallow. Are these 3.5" in diameter? I ask this because the time for cooking is based on the particular mass of batter which is determined by the depth and width. (Really I'm concerned that such a small ramekin will look like a measly dessert!)
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Your First Issue
These took well over an hour to prepare (the 45 mins, 20 active estimate assumes you already toasted the pecans and had all the ingredients measured). And there are a lot of dishes to clean up. They're worth the work, though! I'll make them again but might cut down on the alcohol--it was strong enough that I felt a little tipsy.