Apple Pudding Cake with Maple Syrup

I got this recipe from last week's column by Bonnie Stern in the National Post. It's an old-fashioned pudding cake made with apples and maple syrup. You can also make this in individual ramekins, which is what I did, so I could freeze it and have desserts for various meals over the next few weeks. It is delicious and easy.

You'll need:
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. water
¾ maple syrup
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

Cake:
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup buttermilk (or sour milk)

Stir sugar and water together in a deep skillet.


Bring to a boil and, without stirring, cook until sugar turns golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.


Standing back (mixture tends to bubble up a bit) add maple syrup and butter.


Add apple slices and cook gently about 10 minutes until tender.


Set aside to cool.

For the cake, cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add mixture alternately to batter with buttermilk.

Place cooled apple mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish or several ramekins. (I had various sized ramekins; the smaller ones baked 30 minutes, the larger 35 minutes.) Spread batter on top of apple mixture.


Bake in preheated 350F oven until firm, about 30 to 40 minutes until centre of cake is cooled.