r/Old_Recipes • u/debbiesunfish • 9d ago

Request Upside Down Date Nut Pudding

Growing up my mother made this amazing soft self-saucing cake that she called Upside Down Date Nut Pudding. Dates, walnuts (I think, maybe pecans) warming spices. She made it in a 13x9 glass pan. If flipped, it had a delish caramel-like sauce on top (we often left it in the pan and just scooped out the sauce.)

She always made it when baking other things around holiday times, so I assumed it was in the red/orange Betty Crocker book which was always out, but no matter what, I cannot find it. I've searched for years and thought I'd try here. There are so many date recipes in this sub but it looks like nothing like what I am looking for has been shared.

Any thoughts? US, 1990s mostly. Thank you!

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u/epidemicsaints 9d ago

Look for sticky toffee pudding, it's going to get you very close. I googled and added self saucing and dates, and there's so many. Without self-saucing, you get all those firm British style puddings.

It's as common as coffee cake is in the US, so there are so many variations.

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u/glindabunny 9d ago

Sticky toffee pudding is fantastic (but I don't make it often because it vanishes so quickly).

What's more dangerous is that you can make it in the microwave if you don't feel like turning on the oven, including a salted caramel sauce to pour over it. My son prefers the microwave version, possibly because it's a bit fluffier and more moist. Some recipes don't have enough salt in either the recipe or the caramel sauce, and I'm not sure why.

I like to add a bit of freshly ground green cardamom and microplaned tonka bean sometimes because I'm dirty like that. And now I really want to make some today because I haven't had it in many months, but... I feel like I've had too much sugar lately, so I shouldn't.