Pouding Chômeur | Quebec Cake with Maple Syrup Sauce

Combine the maple syrup, cream, and 30 g butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon in a thin layer. Keep it over the lowest heat while you prepare the batter; do not remove it from the heat.

Beat the softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until pale, creamy, and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla bean seeds and continue beating. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add them alternately with the milk. Mix only until no flour is visible. The batter should be thick and fall slowly from a spoon.

Spread the batter evenly into the corners of a greased 22 × 22 cm baking dish with a spatula; the surface should be level so the sauce distributes evenly. Pour the boiling sauce over the batter using the back of a spoon to spread it out; pouring it directly in one spot can make a hole in the batter.

Bake at 180°C / 355°F for 32 minutes. It is ready when the cake has risen to the surface and turned golden, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean; if it touches the sauce layer, it will come out wet, which is normal. Serve hot; the sauce thickens as it cools.