Self Saucing Butterscotch Pudding

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My comforting Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding comes together like magic! This cake pudding (different from American custard-like pudding) is a soft, baked dessert that develops a silky sauce as it cooks. This dessert is delicious winter comfort food, or enjoy it whenever you’re craving a homey treat!

• No fuss: No need to make a separate glaze or frosting. This pudding comes out of the oven with its own luscious sauce.
• Dream flavor: It’s buttery, warmly sweetened with brown sugar, infused with vanilla flavor, and balanced with delightful saltiness.
• Budget-friendly! I love how low-cost, staple ingredients bake up into such a special dessert.
• Prep and bake in under an hour: The cake and sauce come together quickly, and it bakes in less than 45 minutes.
• An unexpected delight: If you’re unfamiliar with self-saucing pudding, you’ll love the combination of nostalgic flavor and a unique presentation.

Cake puddings are very popular in Ireland and the UK, but they aren’t as well known in the U.S. I’m out to change that because they’re so simple and outrageously yummy. Self-saucing puddings are made by topping a rich batter with a syrup, which bakes into a two-layered treat: soft, moist cake over a thick, sweet sauce. I know once you dig into this Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding, you’ll want to make my Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding, Self-Saucing Pecan Cobbler, The Ultimate Chocolate Cobbler.

I’ll admit that this recipe took a few rounds of testing to get just right! The original version lacked salt, vanilla, and enough brown sugar, so I revisited the method to create what I believe is the perfect Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding. Growing up with puddings like this, I knew exactly the flavor and texture I was aiming for—and after a little determination (and plenty of butter and brown sugar!), I nailed it. I hope you enjoy it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a chilly night!

Table of Contents

• What is Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Butterscotch Recipes

What is Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding?

• Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding is a dessert that separates into two layers as it bakes: a buttery, salty-sweet sauce with incomparable butterscotch flavour underneath a fluffy, moist sponge. The pudding is served warm and scooped up from the bottom, giving each serving the perfect blend of cake with a slightly crusty top, soft interior, and silky sauce.
• Why aren’t self-sauced puddings—easy, flavorful, beautifully-textured desserts—more popular in the United States? It may be because they are not typically prepackaged. But these home-baked confections are a snap to make, and once you make one, you’ll be whipping them up all the time!
• Steamed and baked puddings have long been popular in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, thanks to their quick and easy preparation and easy-to-find, low-cost ingredients. Self-saucing puddings grew in popularity in the 20th century and are beloved for their warming, nostalgic vibes.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9×5-inch (23×12.5 cm) pan
• Whisk

Key Ingredients and Why

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour with a protein content of 9-11% gives this pudding enough gluten development to create a stable structure while still having a tender crumb.
• Substitutes: Use my gluten-free Almond Flour Baking Mix or another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Note that the finished pudding could differ in taste and texture from the pudding made with the original recipe.

Brown sugar

• In the cake:
  • Brown sugar is a key ingredient of butterscotch. Brown sugar contains molasses, which gives it a toffee-like sweetness.
  • Using dark brown sugar (which has more molasses than light brown sugar) gives this simple butterscotch pudding recipe a wonderfully intense flavor.
  • Additionally, brown sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts moisture and holds it. This makes the cake extra moist.
  • Substitutions: You can use light brown sugar here.
• In the sauce
  • Dark brown sugar makes the sauce thick and delectably gooey.
  • The sugar caramelizes as it cooks, creating an irresistible butterscotch flavor.
  • Substitutions: You can use light brown sugar here.

Baking powder

• Baking powder, which contains both an acid (cream of tartar) and a base (baking soda), ensures a good rise.
• Learn more about baking powder and baking soda and discover how to make your own.

Salt

• Salt balances the sweetness, enhances the ingredients, and keeps this self saucing pudding from tasting flat.

Egg

• Eggs enrich flavors and provide an emulsifier from the egg yolks to homogeneously bind all the ingredients together.
• Unless specified otherwise, eggs must always be at room temperature when baking. Room-temperature eggs help create a smooth and cohesive batter.
• Learn foolproof ways to get your eggs to room temperature quickly.

Whole milk

• Whole milk moistens the cake, giving it a tender and delicate crumb.
• Importantly, milk reacts with baking powder, giving the cake a light, airy rise.
• Substitutions: You can use a lower fat milk here, but the finished pudding won’t have the same richness.
  • You can also use a plant-based milk, like almond milk.
  • Note that the finished pudding could differ in taste and texture from the pudding made with the original recipe.

Butter

• In the cake:
  • The fat in butter coats the flour and inhibits gluten formation, contributing to a light and delicate texture.
  • Butter also gives the cake rich flavor.
  • Substitutions: no other ingredient will give the desired flavor and texture results.
• In the sauce:
  • Butter gives the sauce lovely silkiness.
  • As the cake cooks, the butter browns and takes on a delectably toasty note, contributing to the overall flavor.
  • Substitutions: no other ingredient will give the desired flavor and texture results.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract, with its creamy flavor, unites the ingredients and elevates the overall taste of this old-fashioned butterscotch pudding recipe.
• Substitutions: 
  • You can use Vanilla Bean Paste instead.
  • Or use almond extract instead of vanilla, but the pudding won’t have the same butterscotch flavor. Since almond extract is stronger than vanilla extract, I suggest using slightly less (1 tsp.)  here.

Cornstarch

• Using cornstarch in the sauce enables the separation of the layers in this dessert: it helps the liquid sink to the bottom and create a separate sauce.
• Importantly, cornstarch contributes to the thickness of the sauce.
• Substitutions: You can use an equal amount of arrowroot powder or tapioca starch, but the finished pudding may differ in taste and texture from pudding made with the original recipe.

Boiling water

• Boiling water poured on top of the pudding mixture helps to make the sauce.
• Importantly, boiling water lets off steam, which contributes to the moisture of the cake.

How to Make Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding

Prepare to bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9 x 5-inch (23x8cm) baking dish.

Make the cake

2. Place flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Add egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk until mostly lump-free.

4. Scrape the pudding batter into the baking dish and smooth surface.

Make the butterscotch sauce

5. Whisk brown sugar and a tablespoon cornflour in a bowl until well combined.

6. Sprinkle sugar mixture all over surface of the pudding.

7. In a measuring jug, add the boiling water and cubed butter and stir until the butter has melted.

8. Carefully pour the boiling water mix over the surface of the batter.

Bake the pudding

9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean and the pudding is set.

10. While it’s hot, spoon up the pudding to reveal butterscotch sauce underneath. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream and some more butterscotch sauce.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Don’t be shy with the vanilla and salt—you need those to add necessary flavor to the butterscotch.
• You can swap all-purpose flour for cake flour to make an even more tender-crumbed pudding
• Serve right after baking. The longer the pudding sits, the more it will soak up the sauce, so you want to enjoy it straight from the oven.
• Make sure to use dark brown sugar because it will give your pudding the best flavor and ultimate butterscotch vibes.
• If you really love butterscotch like I do, make my Homemade Butterscotch Sauce and serve it alongside!

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make ahead tips:

• This butterscotch pudding is best eaten right out of the oven, but you can save time on baking day by mixing up the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt) and storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
• You can also mix up the cake four to six hours in advance, cover tightly with cling wrap, and refrigerate for four to six hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before pouring the boiling water and melted butter mixture over the batter and baking.

How to store leftovers:

• Cover any leftovers and store at room temperature for up to two days.
• Note that the sauce will likely soak into the pudding as it cools and sits. To enjoy the separate layers of pudding-cake and sauce, enjoy the dessert fresh out of the oven.
• However, the leftover pudding will still taste great! Reheat gently in the microwave until warm.

FAQs

Can I make this pudding if I don’t have a loaf pan?

• Yes, you can make this pudding if you don’t have a loaf pan.
• I used a loaf-shaped dish, but you can use a shallower ovenproof dish if you wish. Choose a 6 to 8-cup (1.4 to 1.9 liter) baking pan of any shape.

Can I make this butterscotch pudding recipe without egg?

• Yes, you can make this butterscotch pudding recipe without egg.
  • Silken tofu or ground flax seed mixed with water would work well in this recipe. For more tips on baking without eggs, please see my guide to 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes and How to Use Them.
  • Note that Self-Saucing Butterscotch Pudding made with an egg substitute may differ in flavor and texture from pudding made with the original recipe.

What can I serve with this homemade butterscotch pudding?

• Serve this homemade butterscotch pudding my favorite way, with a big scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!
• Whipped Cream, Stabilized Whipped Cream, Crème Fraîche, or Crème Anglaise would also be delicious choices. Crumble some pecans on top for extra flavor and crunch.

More Butterscotch Recipes

• Pear Butterscotch Pie
• Salted Butterscotch Pot de Crème
• Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie
• Butterscotch Pudding and Caramelized Bananas
• Homemade Butterscotch Sauce

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