Blueberry Pudding

Pudding or Cake?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Grandma loved puddings. Her definition of puddings, though, was different than the typical American version that came in a snack pack and had a pull-off top. Her puddings were often steamed, served warm, and topped with a sauce or whipped cream. Sometimes, though, they were baked, like this one. To be honest, I wasn't sure why they were called puddings instead of cakes, but I never argued. I just enjoyed. 

I didn't remember this one, though, and I was looking forward to making it. However, it kept getting pushed to the end of the line. There were a couple of reasons for that. One, I have blueberry haters in my family and wasn't sure if they would like it. I would have to make it when the blueberry haters weren't around. 

The other problem was the canned blueberries. My usual store didn't stock them. I could order them online, but they were super expensive. Then, while visiting a different store, I checked the canned fruit aisle, and there they were.   

They were still a bit pricey, but I really wanted to test this recipe, so I plucked the can off the shelves. It was time to test Blueberry Pudding. 

How to make Blueberry Pudding

Usually, Grandma's recipe directions were pretty spare. And such was the case with the recipe pictured above. However, Grandma had a second recipe for Blueberry Pudding in her box, and this one had detailed (for her) directions. 

Following those directions, I beat together the butter and sugar. 

I then added the egg and beat that in.

The next step was to sift the "dry ingredients" together. Usually, when Grandma's recipes said to do this, I would put a sieve over the bowl and sift the flour, leavenings, and spices directly into the bowl. However, this recipe said to alternate adding the flour mixture and the applesauce, so I added the dry ingredients to a separate bowl and whisked them together. 

Then I began adding the flour mixture alternately with the applesauce until the batter looked like this. I did have to add a bit more applesauce because the batter seemed a little dry. However, my applesauce was homemade and thicker than normal.  

The batter only needed the blueberries. I folded those in, taking care to be as gentle as possible so I didn't end up with blueberry mush. 

One of the recipe cards mentioned that chopped nuts could be added. I missed that bit, so I didn't add nuts, but I think they would be fabulous. 

The next question was what to bake the batter in. Even though I had two recipes to go from, neither of them specified the pan size. There was one clue, though--the baking time. One recipe said to bake the pudding for one hour, while the other specified an hour and ten minutes. It sounded to me like a 9 x 13-inch pan was not the right size because the pudding would have burned if baked that long in that size of pan. A loaf pan, then? No, there was too much batter for that. Finally, I decided it must have been a tube pan because Grandma did a lot of baking in hers. I took out my Bundt because it was nonstick, and the cake comes out without a problem. I spread the batter into the Bundt, and it filled the pan nicely.  

I set the timer for an hour to begin with, and the pudding was done when I checked it. It came out looking, well, like a cake. A beautiful one, but a cake nonetheless. 

The recipe said to serve it warm, and I wasn't about to argue with that. It also said to serve the pudding with a lemon sauce, whipped cream, or both. Grandma had underlined the word "both," so there was no question what I should do. She hadn't provided a recipe for the lemon sauce, though, so I searched online and serendipitously found this one.  After preparing it, I sliced the pudding, added the sauce, and dolloped on some whipped cream. 

The Verdict on Blueberry Pudding

Wow. Just wow. The cake/pudding was oh-so-moist, probably due to all the applesauce that went in. And the blueberries added a tangy touch. However, the real magic happened when the lemon, blueberry pudding, and cream were combined. It was the perfect marriage of flavors: sweet, tart, creamy, and fruity. 

I had to know. I called one of my blueberry haters up from the basement where she currently lives and gave her a slice. Yes, even she thought it delicious.  

I'm still not clear on the difference between a baked pudding and a cake, but it doesn't matter. However it's called, this dessert is not to be missed, and the lemon sauce and cream are non-negotiables. Try it. You won't be sorry.