It has been so chilly the past couple of days! It’s still really hard to believe that it’s November but I guess time is just squishy like that. Anywho, here we are with recipe number two of this month.
Everything everywhere is Christmas right now. It’s in the stores, my friends are talking about it, it’s all over social media, and of course there’s Nutcracker. But personally, I am team fall. I mean it’s still early November. To me, the Christmas season doesn’t start until December.
Maybe part of that is because I don’t exactly want it to start. This time of year is always so stressful. I mean, there’s school deadlines, dance performances, party/events, and shopping for gifts. And when you do all this stuff AND try and time seasonally appropriate recipes, it can get a little chaotic.
But such is life.
Anyway, let’s talk pumpkin. It’s still pumpkin season as far as I’m concerned so today we have pumpkin pudding cakes. These are pretty cool because you get both pudding and cake from just one batter. They might seem advanced and complicated but they are actually really simple.
What Even is a Pudding Cake?
It’s exactly what it sounds like. A cake crossed with a pudding. Creamy pudding sits bellow a layer of fluffy sponge cake. So how the heck does that happen? Well, there are a few different things. First is the egg whites. We have to whip up the egg whites until they’re nice and fluffy. Then fold that into some pumpkin, sugar, milk, flour and such. At this point you pretty much have sponge cake batter. The key part to making that pudding layer is how we cook these. Cooking the batter in the ramekins set in a water bath is key. This creates steam in the oven, which gives you gooey pudding bellow the cake.
Describe these Pudding Cakes to Me
Taste: These taste like a pumpkin chai latte. We take your classic pumpkin puree and dress it up a little with the spices found in chai. That means lots of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. These are a little on the sweeter side, so I might recommend having a cup of black coffee with them to balance it out.
Texture: These are all about the texture. Again, there’s creamy and smooth custard on the bottom and spongey, fluffy cake on the top. I love the contrast because it gives you a lovely, delicate dessert.
Ease: These are actually surprisingly simple to make. Start off by whisking together some pumpkin puree, butter, milk, sugar, flour, egg yolks, and some spices. Once that’s nice and smooth, you can shift your attention to the egg whites. Whip those up until they are nice and foamy. Then add a little sugar and keep whipping until you get some nice firm peaks. Then fold that into your pumpkin batter, pour it into your ramekins, and bake it up in a water bath.
Keys to Success
Although these pudding cakes are pretty simple, here are a few tips to help make sure you have full success.
1. Don’t over/under whip your egg whites. The egg whites are a big part of the structure of these, so it’s super important that they are prepared correctly. If they are over whipped or under whipped, then your pudding cakes won’t be as spongey and delicate, but really more dense and flat.
2. Don’t deflate your egg whites. Similarly, make sure you don’t deflate your egg whites when you fold them into the batter. It’s really easy to do because it can be a little challenging to get them fully combined into the batter. But if you’re patient and take it slow, you should have perfect pudding cakes!
3. Water Bath: This is the most important part for giving you that pudding layer, so make sure you don’t skip it! Also, make sure you are filling the tray up with enough water so that it reaches about halfway up the ramekins.
4. Don’t over bake: This is always something to keep in mind, but in this recipe it’s particularly important. Over-baking, even by just a couple of minutes, can ruin that custard layer. You can see that in these pictures I actually over-baked them a little bit, so they really aren’t as pudding as they should be.
Is anyone else struggling with the time change? I know that’s completely unrelated but it’s really throwing me off. Half of the clocks in my house jumped, but some of them are an hour behind. Or maybe they’re right and the other ones are wrong? Or maybe they’re all right? Or all wrong? I don’t know man, time has no business being this complicated.
Anyway, happy fall people. It’s still pumpkin season so enjoy it while it lasts, and don’t rush it to be December. I mean you can if you want, I can’t tell you what to do. I just don’t want fall to be over.
Pumpkin Chai Pudding Cakes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs yolks separated from whites
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup whole milk at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chai spice blend *(see notes for recipe)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- sprinkle of confectioners sugar for optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and grease 6 ramekins with butter. Set these ramekins in a casserole dish. These will bake in a water bath.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 egg yolks, pumpkin puree, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour, chai spice, salt, and ¾ cup granulated sugar and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium high speed until soft foamy peaks form. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar on top and whip on medium high speed for another 1-2 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form.
- Using a large rubber spatula, fold about a third of the egg whites into the pumpkin batter. Try not to deflate the egg whites too much, you'll have to be patient and slow with this. Repeat with the another third of the egg whites, and then with the final third.
- Pour the batter evenly among the ramekins, almost to the top. Place the filled ramekins back into the casserole dish.
Make the water bath
- Being careful not to splash water into the ramekins, pour hot water into the casserole dish with the pudding cakes in it. Fill it until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven.
Bake
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. You might want to start checking at about 25 minutes, as cooking times can vary drastically. You can tell they are done when they are puffy and slightly browned on the top. Remove from the oven, and then use oven mitts or tongs to remove the ramekins from the water. Place the pudding cakes on a wire rack and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. You can also let them cool completely if you would prefer. I like to dust mine with some confectioners sugar, but this is optional!