Vanilla Date Pudding Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: meganvt01

October30,2012

2 Ratings

Vanilla Date Pudding Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 6-8

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Author Notes

This recipe was inspired by a fabulous date pudding I had at the River Tavern in Chester, CT and a quintessentially South African dessert, malva pudding. I have been wanting to re-create the date pudding, but I wanted it to be a bit more like the malva pudding I had had in SA. Earthy dates are a perfect vehicle for smooth vanilla. This recipe is great because you can bake the pudding before dinner and then pour on the vanilla cream sauce after dinner at re-heat for 5-10 minutes. If you really wanted to gild the lily, serve with fresh whipped cream for a nice warm/cool contrast. —meganvt01

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: meganvt01 is an adventurous cook and eater who has been in the winner's circle a time or two.
WHAT: Her own, expert riff on a South African malva pudding.
HOW: Just blend, beat, and bake -- but it will taste like you've done so much more.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This perfumed pudding is perfect all on its own, but pour the vanilla-rum cream over the top and it'll be on a whole new level. —The Editors

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What You'll Need

Ingredients

Date Pudding
¹/₂ cupbrown sugar
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped from the inside
8 ouncesdates, chopped
1 cupboiling water
1 teaspoonbaking powder
1 cupall purpose flour
1 teaspoonwhite vinegar
¹/₂ teaspoonsalt
2 tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted

Vanilla-Rum Cream
¹/₂ cupheavy whipping cream
2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
1 tablespoondark rum
1 tablespoonmelted butter
dash of kosher salt

Directions

Date Pudding
Preheat your oven to 350 and butter a 9-inch pie pan.
Place the chopped dates in a blender. Pour over the boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes then puree.
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar on medium high for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla seeds, vinegar, and butter and beat to combine.
Add a little bit of the date mixture and beat -- this will bring the eggs up to temperature -- add the rest and beat to combine (medium speed). Add the flour, salt, baking powder and beat just to combine.
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the center is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Take a wooden skewer and poke holes every inch or so all over the pudding.
At this point you can let the cake cool until after dinner or pour over the vanilla-rum cream sauce and return to the oven for 5 minutes (10 if the pudding was cooled).

Vanilla-Rum Cream
Mix the ingredients.

Tags:

Pudding
South African
Date
Rum
Vinegar
Milk/Cream
Fruit
Vanilla
Make Ahead
Fall
Christmas
Thanksgiving

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14 Reviews

JamieB June 9, 2016

Wow that looks awesome! Do you think it would work with a gluten-free flour blend?

Katie A. November 24, 2015

I am obsessed with the River Tavern and this dessert is the best thing I have ever eaten. They give out the recipe (but its for 60)- I will have to try this one. Thanks!

ekling211 November 24, 2013

I made this WITH regular vanilla instead of the bean (because I keep forgetting to buy one) AND IT WAS AMAZING anyway! Left out the rum too.