cottage pudding

Jessie Sheehan’s cottage pudding is a square vanilla cake served with its own creamy vanilla sauce. Cupcake Project presents this version from The Vintage Baker, where buttermilk and an extra egg yolk enrich the cake.

Cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and table salt are whisked together. Unsalted butter is beaten until light, then granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract are beaten in before two eggs and the extra yolk enter one at a time.

The dry ingredients are added in three portions, alternating with two portions of buttermilk, and the mixing finishes by hand. The batter fills a square pan greased with softened butter and lined with greased parchment, then bakes until a tester carries a moist crumb or two and the cake starts pulling away from its pan.

The cake rests briefly, is inverted onto a rack and cools to room temperature. For the sauce, confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch are whisked together and stirred into warmed heavy cream until thick; a separate portion of butter, vanilla and table salt is whisked in.

The cake is moved to a serving plate, sliced and dribbled with its vanilla sauce. An optional dollop of whipped cream accompanies the cake and sauce.