Treat yourself to this self-saucing pudding on the couch on a Saturday night

Name: Treat yourself to this self-saucing pudding on the couch on a Saturday night
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp lemon juice; 1½ tbsp dark brown sugar; pinch of fine sea salt; 2-3 medium ripe pears

Helen Goh

March 13, 2026

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

There’s something incredibly comforting about eating warm food with a spoon at the end of a hard day. With cooler weather on its way, this dessert rockets straight to the top of my feel-good list: pears resting beneath a spiced batter, which, through some quiet kitchen alchemy, separates as it bakes into a tender sponge above and a glossy caramel sauce below.

It’s homely, but also simply elegant – just as lovely served at a dinner table or on the couch on a Saturday night.

Ingredients

FOR THE PEARS

1½ tbsp lemon juice
1½ tbsp dark brown sugar
pinch of fine sea salt
2-3 medium ripe pears

FOR THE PUDDING

125g unsalted butter, melted, then cooled slightly (plus 10g, softened, for greasing the dish)
150g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp fine sea salt
120ml milk
cold pouring cream, to serve

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

150g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
250ml boiling water
pinch of fine sea salt

Method

Prepare the pears

Step 1
Combine the lemon juice, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Peel the pears, then quarter them lengthways. Remove the cores, then slice each quarter into two so you have eight pieces per pear. Toss in the lemon mixture and set aside.
Step 2
Grease the base and sides of an ovenproof baking dish (I use a 23cm round, glass dish) with the softened butter. Arrange the pears snugly at the base of the dish and drizzle over any remaining juices from the bowl.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 165C fan-forced (185C conventional).

Make the pudding batter

Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
Step 2
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt together, then add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix gently until you have a smooth, pourable batter, then carefully spoon the batter over the pears. Smooth the top to make an even layer, then set aside while you prepare the caramel sauce.

Make the caramel sauce

Step 1
Combine the brown sugar, golden syrup, boiling water and salt in a heatproof jug and stir until dissolved.
Step 2
Gently spoon the hot liquid onto the pudding batter – don’t worry if it breaks the surface in places.

Bake and serve

Step 1
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is firm and the caramel sauce is bubbling underneath. Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Step 2
Spoon generously into bowls, making sure to include a little of the caramel from the base. Serve with cold pouring cream.

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.