WARM PUDDING CAKE
A squidgy dessert, a splodge of crème fraîche? Sign me up
Is there anyone who writes a more appealing recipe note than Nigella Lawson?
I made googly eyes while perusing her new cookbook when I came across this dessert, which she explains is a riff on a glutenfree blondie recipe from 2016 “MasterChef Australia” contestant Chloe Bowles.
Lawson: “I have taken great liberties with it and in the process turned it into a warm, squidgy dessert, to be eaten with a tangy splodge of crème fraîche and a tumble of sharp raspberries.”
Sign me up.
Lawson’s serving suggestion of crème fraîche and raspberries would be great, no doubt. We went slightly more decadent in our (optional) presentation, pairing the berries with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Warm Blondie Pudding Cake
This gluten-free dessert comes together in a single pot. With not a lot of effort or dishes, you get what feels like a traditional English “pud” — soft, fragrant and utterly enticing.
If you want a more traditional blondie, Lawson recommends loosely covering the baking dish with aluminum foil and adding five minutes to the bake time. Let the blondies cool on the counter and then in the refrigerator to chill through before cutting.
The recipe calls for almond meal or almond flour. They are essentially the same thing, although some manufacturers make the distinction in reference
to how fine the texture is or whether it uses almond skins or not. Products with either name will work here. Or you can make your own by finely grinding blanched, slivered almonds in your food processor.
Make ahead: Covered leftovers can be refrigerated for up to one week; reheat, covered, in a 250 F oven.
Makes 9 large squares
13 tablespoons (1 stick plus 5 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
3 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped into smallish pieces
3⁄4 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown
sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger 3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped (aim for a mix of small pieces and “dusty rubble,” as Lawson puts it)
1 1⁄2 cups almond meal or almond flour
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Use a little butter to lightly grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a sturdy saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Don’t stir; just occasionally lift the pan and give its contents a swirl.
Once the chocolate has become
a sludgy paste in buttery liquid, remove from the heat before adding the brown sugar and ginger, and stir gently to incorporate. The mixture should become a glossy-looking fudge, with no lumps. Let cool for 10 minutes. Don’t worry if the butter and chocolate separate; all will be well once you add the eggs.
Stir in the eggs and keep stirring until they’re completely incorporated (this will take several minutes longer than you expect). Add the chopped walnuts and almond meal, stirring gently to distribute evenly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly into the corners. Bake (middle rack) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until
golden brown on top, crisp at the edges and beginning to shrink from the sides of the pan. The cake should feel a little soft under its just-firm surface; a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the centre should have a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Cool in the pan for 30 to 40 minutes before cutting and serving.
Per serving: 490 calories; 40 grams fat (15 g saturated fat); 105 milligrams cholesterol; 40 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre; 24 g sugar; 9 g protein.
Adapted from “At My Table: A Celebration of Home Cooking,” by Nigella Lawson (Flatiron Books, 2018).