Sandy Lerner, the owner of Hunter's Head Tavern, fell in love with this classic "pudding" while living in England. The secret to its sweetness is dates, baked into a dense cake that's drizzled with caramel—special enough to be served for company and simple enough to be enjoyed after a weeknight dinner.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Pudding:
Sauce:
Special Equipment
Preparation
For pudding:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour Bundt pan. Bring dates and 1¼ cups water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan with tall sides. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will become foamy). Set aside; let cool.
Step 2
Whisk 1½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat ¼ cup butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Add 1 egg; beat to blend. Add half of flour mixture and half of date mixture; beat to blend. Repeat with remaining 1 egg, flour mixture, and date mixture. Pour batter into mold.
Step 3
Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert pudding onto rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
For sauce:
Step 4
Bring sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in brandy, if using, and vanilla. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm gently before using.
Step 5
Cut cake into wedges. Serve with sauce and whipped cream.
Recipe notes
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