This Tipsy Tart of Cape Brandy Tart is a traditional South African pudding that is laced with dates and soaked in a brandy sauce. This is a great substitute to a Christmas pudding. It is swift and easy to make, and the sauce is a bit tangy – which is always a win and feels great over the Holiday season. Eminent South African Pudding/Tart. Made it several times and it’s always been a hit and the recipe asked for. Good for a braai and serving with an Ice Cream gives 5 starts to it.
Ingredients
Here are some important ingredients:
Sponge Of Pudding
Plain flour(all-purpose flour) mentions the flour that has a protein content of approximately 9.5-12%. This can replace with cake flour for cakes if needed. If measuring ingredients by cups, make sure to exposes the flour and then scoop it into the measuring cup using a spoon before flattening it out. Scooping straight out of the flour container will cause in too much flour being added to the mixture.
Plain flour can substitute with self-raising flour, taking out the baking powder.
White sugar (caster sugar or granulated) adds sugariness without really impacting additional flavors in baked goods. Sugar doesn’t only add sugariness, it adds moisture, slows down gluten creation, enhances other flavors, and can act as a raising agent.
Butter adds softness, flavor, and moisture and sometimes aids in the raising of baked goods. I mostly use New Zealand butter in my recipes, which has around 82% butterfat and can be very yellowish (similar to Irish butter or European). Butter can’t stand in for margarine spreads, but it can substitute with baking margarine.
Baking powder lends a kick to this brandy pudding but cannot be done if you are using self-raising flour.
Bread soda or bicarbonate of soda or Baking soda is used to nullify the acidic tannins in the dates. This collectively with the boiling water also discharges some of the flavor in the dates. And acts as the key “wet” ingredient in this recipe.
Dates give this recipe its special signature flavor because they are healthy and great. Use any type of dates you want. slice the dates according to the given information.
Baking powder must be as good as new. Check it by placing a ½ tsp into a bowl or cup. Pour around ¼ cup of boiling water in the baking powder. If it foams and bubbles it is still fresh and good as new.
Eggs I use is New Zealand size 6 egg, which is about the same size as Australian and South African Large Eggs, but come nears to a US/Europe Medium sized egg.
Sauce Ingredients
- 1½ cups Boiling Water
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 cup Sugar Brown
- ⅓ cup Brandy
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Method For Making Sauce
- Add the sugar, water and butter to a pot and put it on a medium-heat on the stove. Gradually bring it to the boil while moving (ensuring that the sugar & butter melts).
- Permit it to boil for 5 minutes, add the brandy, and seethe for about 5 minutes.
- At the end of the simmer time add the vanilla essence, stir and remove it from the stove.
- When your pudding comes out of the oven, spike a couple of holes in it (this will help in the sauce immersion) and unhurriedly pour the sauce over the pudding… voila, your easy Tipsy Tart is baked like an expert!
Instructions
- Your first step starts when you preheat the oven to 355°F / 180°C. Lubricant a large glass or ceramic ovenproof dish (what I used is a 23cm square round baking dish, so it should hold about 1.5 liters or ½ a quart).
- Now place the cup of nicely sliced dates in a heatproof bowl. Garnish the baking soda over the dates. Pour the ½ cup boiling water over the dates, and allow the dates to completely absorb in the boiling water until dates are cool. This will take between 5 to 15 minutes and will be ready.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and eggs together until fluffy and light.
- Mix through the flour, baking powder, and salt over the butter mixture. Now pour the date mixture into the large bowl, and mix together until its mixed.
- And if you are adding in nuts which is a good choice, stir them through the brandy tart batter.
- Now pour the tipsy tart sponge into the baking dish. Bake the tipsy tart for 30-40 minutes or until a spike or cake tester comes out clean. Stab the tart all over with the toothpick or cake tester.
- In the very last 5 minutes the tart sponge is baking, melt the brown sugar in the water on low heat.
- Now bring the brown sugar water mixture to a boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Now add in the butter, vanilla, and brandy. Transfer the syrup over the tart straight out of the oven. Let the tart cool down a bit before serving.
- Serve the pudding warm or cool with cream, custard, or ice cream as you liked it.
Tips For The Tipsy Tart Pudding Recipe
It should be noted that the oven is completely preheated and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. All ovens work a little differently and bake times may need to be accustomed for your specific oven.
Prepare the syrup in the last minutes of the baking time. Syrup must be poured above the tart while it is still warm. The syrup is engrossed completely into the pudding, at first, it may seem like it is exceeding the limit but you should trust the process.
This extremely delicious pudding can be prepared in the morning or the day before an event, complete from start to end, including adding the syrup.
Storing & Freezing
This Tipsy Tart Pudding can be stored in the fridge covered for 4-5 days. I endorse reheating the pudding in the microwave.
Freeze the pudding for up to 2 months. Closing the pudding in an air tight container is essential. Let it de-ice in the fridge overnight before serving. Before serving, Heat it in the oven or the microwave.
Conclusion
This simple & trouble-free Tipsy Tart recipe is super yummy, super moist, and the perfect sweet course for Christmas lunch or dinner, or anytime of the year actually! This is an accurate South African preferred, also known as Cape Brandy Tart, is loaded with Brandy, it’s ironic in flavor, and served warm combination perfectly with ice-cream, custard or whipped cream.
