Butterscotch Pudding Cake. A warm self-saucing brown-sugar cake that bakes with a soft sponge above a butterscotch-like sauce. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.
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A cake with sauce beneath
This warm pudding cake uses a batter, a separate brown-sugar layer and hot water poured over the top. During baking, a soft sponge forms above a sauce to spoon with each portion.
The layering and eight servings are proposed, not kitchen-tested. Pan material and water temperature can affect the result.
Keep the layers separate
Make a simple brown-sugar batter with egg, milk and melted butter. The second measure of brown sugar and cornstarch is for the surface, not an ingredient to beat into the batter.
Pour hot water over a spoon so it lands gently. Do not stir afterward; that would disperse the planned sauce layer.
Ingredients for 8 portions
| Ingredient | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1 cup | Cake. |
| Baking powder | 1 1/2 teaspoons | Cake. |
| Fine salt | 1/4 teaspoon | Cake. |
| Packed light brown sugar, for cake | 1/2 cup | Cake. |
| Unsalted butter, melted | 4 tablespoons | Cake. |
| Whole milk | 1/2 cup | Cake. |
| Large egg | 1 egg | Cake. |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | Cake. |
| Packed light brown sugar, for sauce layer | 1/2 cup | Scatter over batter. |
| Cornstarch | 1 tablespoon | Whisk into sauce sugar. |
| Hot water | 1 1/4 cups | Pour gently over top; do not stir. |
Step-by-step method
- Heat oven to 350°F and lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish from the measured four tablespoons. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
- Whisk remaining melted butter with 1/2 cup milk, one egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Fold wet into dry just until combined and spread batter in the dish.
- Mix the separate 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch and scatter evenly over batter. Pour 1 1/4 cups hot water gently across the back of a spoon over the surface. Do not stir the water into the batter.
- Bake approximately 35–40 minutes until the sponge top is set and sauce bubbles at the edge. Rest ten minutes, then spoon into eight provisional bowls with sauce from below. Test whether the sauce thickens and center sets in the specified pan.
Bake and rest briefly
A set sponge top and bubbling edge are the visual cues. The underside is intentionally saucy, so a skewer pushed through to the bottom will not come out like a dry sheet cake.
Rest ten minutes before serving, enough for the sauce to settle slightly. RecipeTin Eats supplies a self-saucing technique reference, not a tested result for these amounts.
Troubleshoot a trial batch
If a trial has dry cake without sauce, note pan width, water measurement and bake time. If the top is wet batter, record center appearance and allow more oven time before serving.
Do not substitute a different pan or add ice cream to the recipe card without updating portions, timing and ingredients.
Serve warm
Spoon both cake and underlying sauce into each of eight provisional bowls. A cold slice will not have the same flow as a warm spooned serving.
No validated storage duration, reheated sauce texture or make-ahead claim exists for this proposed formula.
Pudding cake questions
Is it a chilled pudding?
No. It is a warm baked sponge with sauce below.
Why not stir after adding water?
The separate hot-water layer is part of the self-saucing technique.
Is the bottom meant to be wet?
A spoonable sauce is intended, but raw top batter is not.
Further reading and related Chefly recipes: RecipeTin Eats self-saucing butterscotch pudding. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.
Recipe-card handoff — preview, not a native plugin card
Butterscotch Pudding Cake. Category: Cakes. 8 portions. Prep approximately 20 minutes; cooking approximately 40 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 10 minutes; total approximately 70 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.
Ingredients: 1 cup All-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon Fine salt; 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar, for cake; 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted; 1/2 cup Whole milk; 1 egg Large egg; 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract; 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar, for sauce layer; 1 tablespoon Cornstarch; 1 1/4 cups Hot water.
Instructions: Heat oven to 350°F and lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish from the measured four tablespoons. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Whisk remaining melted butter with 1/2 cup milk, one egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Fold wet into dry just until combined and spread batter in the dish. Mix the separate 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch and scatter evenly over batter. Pour 1 1/4 cups hot water gently across the back of a spoon over the surface. Do not stir the water into the batter. Bake approximately 35–40 minutes until the sponge top is set and sauce bubbles at the edge. Rest ten minutes, then spoon into eight provisional bowls with sauce from below. Test whether the sauce thickens and center sets in the specified pan.
Allergens: Wheat; Egg; Milk. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.
Print
Butterscotch Pudding Cake
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Eight warm portions of brown-sugar sponge with sauce beneath.
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine salt
- 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar, for cake
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Whole milk
- 1 egg Large egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Packed light brown sugar, for sauce layer
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups Hot water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish from the measured four tablespoons. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
- Whisk remaining melted butter with 1/2 cup milk, one egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Fold wet into dry just until combined and spread batter in the dish.
- Mix the separate 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch and scatter evenly over batter. Pour 1 1/4 cups hot water gently across the back of a spoon over the surface. Do not stir the water into the batter.
- Bake approximately 35–40 minutes until the sponge top is set and sauce bubbles at the edge. Rest ten minutes, then spoon into eight provisional bowls with sauce from below. Test whether the sauce thickens and center sets in the specified pan.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Additional chilling, resting or cooling time: 10 minutes, included in the total.
Untested estimate: 35–40-minute bake and ten-minute rest, then spoon warm; preheat excluded.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling, resting or cooling: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One eighth of an 8-inch square dish with sauce