You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert / Cape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisited
by Jeanne Horak 31 Comments in Dessert, South African
[As I am currently on holiday, this is an editedre-posting of one of the first traditional South Africandesserts that I ever posted on this blog.]
It’s a fact – South Africans do like their brandy. Not so much the sort that is meticulously aged and then consumed in tiny sips from beautiful blown-glass balloons. No, we seem to have more of a taste for the cheaper stuff (our consumption of Klipdrift is legendary…), preferably mixed with Coca-cola. In fact, I rememebr my father and mother, who were sophisticated in their tastes in practically every other way, drinking a brandy and co*ke before dinner every single Saturday night that I lived at home.
Clearly it’s in the genes😉
This is a classic South African pudding, confusingly knownby at least three names: dadelpoeding (its Afrikaans name meanind date pudding), Cape brandy pudding, andtipsy tart. The last one is a misnomer in that it’s not a tart atall…. but it will definitely make you tipsy if you overindulge in the syrup!
Even friends who profess to dislike fruit puddings lick their bowls clean, and it makes a great altrenative to Christmas pudding. I should know – that’s what I served this year!
5.0 from 1 reviews
Cape brandy pudding (tipsy tart)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This deliciously boozy date pudding with its brandy-laced sauce makes an excellent alternative to traditional Christmas pudding.
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: South African
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 250g dates, roughly chopped
- 250 ml water
- 5ml bicarbonate of soda
- 100g butter, softened
- 200ml caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 250ml plain flour
- 5ml baking powder
- 100g pecan nuts, chopped
- FOR THE SYRUP:
- 250ml sugar
- 120ml water
- 120ml brandy
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 30ml butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C and grease an oven-proof dish.
- Combine the dates with the water in a small pot and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda.
- Cream together the butter, sugar and egg. Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mix together with the cooled dates and mix well.
- Mix in the nuts and pour into the greased dish. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean
- For the syrup, boil the sugar, water, butter and vanilla essence together until the desired syrupy consistency is reached - about 1-2 minutes. Add the brandy and cinnamon and mix well.
- Serve the pudding with the syrup poured over it and top with some whipped cream (or custard if preferred).
I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!
« Saturday Snapshots #82
Grilled Halloumi cheese with Zaa’tar and roasted red pepper coulis »
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Jamie saysOooh I like the name Tipsy Tart! And luscious this pudding does indeed look! Yum! Personally I have the anti-alcohol genes but give it to me in a dessert that looks this delicious and I, too, may just lick the bowl clean!
Reply
- Maninas says
I love the name of this pudding! 😉
Enjoy your trip!Reply
- Wizzythestick says
This pudding looks divine.
Reply
- Myfrenchkitchen says
Delicious Jeeanne! I had an aunt who made the most incredible tipsy tart…I never stopped at only one piece/slice(she baked it in a long pyrex tart pan and cut it into squares) along with peppermint crisp tart, it was my favorite. I could eat till I drop…mind you perhaps it was the tipsy tart that made me drop..
Now you just have to post a peppermint crisp tart too..
RonellReply
- Thea Thomas (Griet`s World) says
Dear Jeanne.
Thank you so much for your informative talk(s) on Saturday. Although I am not a “foodie” I learned alot.Reply
I love fruity puddings, cakes and Christmas pudding so I bet I’d really like this. Hope you are having great time whilst you are away.
Reply
- nina says
This is a favorite my mom makes whenever we go and visit. Thank you for re-posting and make me pick up the phone to say “Hello ma!”
Reply
- bigjobsboard says
Wow. That’s the most elegant thing I’ve ever seen in a plate! LOL Thanks a lot! This just made me hungry again! I just had my lunch! LOL
Reply
- Rosemary says
While I don’t share my compatriots love for Klippies and co*ke, I love this pudding.
Reply
- Marisa says
Ooooh yay – thanks for the recipe Jeanne. Never knew it contained dates! Always just called it “tipsy tert” at home. I have a feeling this is going to feature prominently in the next few months…
Reply
- tasteofbeirut says
I can see why your fellow countrymen love it! dates and a splash of brandy? sure! I want some!
Reply
- Manggy says
I hope you’re having a great time Jeanne! I love a good, deeply flavored pud – and dates are just the proverbial icing on this cake!
Reply
- Mowie @ Mowielicious says
Cute name! Loving the ingredients, with the dates and the nuts and the vanilla – yummy!
Reply
- Rebecca Lynn says
This pudding looks phenomenal. I can’t wait to make it. You made my Top Nine of the week this week. I love your blog!!
Reply
- courtney says
The famous pudding. you have tuned me onto to baking with brandy. Love it!
Reply
- Bordeaux says
I still have not tried making brandy pudding. Maybe we’ll try making it for the in-laws while here in the States!
Reply
Oh, so Cape Brandy Tart and Tipsy Tart is the same thing? Geez, so much for me being a South African! I do love both though! 😀 And yes, I hate Christmas pudding but give me this dessert any day!
Reply
- Kim says
Fantastic recipe. This is my holiday-entertainment cake. Make ahead of time than serve warm with whipped cream. Nothing better or easier.
Maybe Cheese cake?Reply
- Karen says
Hi. I love this recipe and am making it while visiting my mum. So I haven’t got my usual version of the recipe with me and Google has led me to your version. I’m confused by measuring flour and sugar by the ‘ml’. For the flour, do you mean 250 grams? Or do you mean 1 cup (equivalent of 250ml of liquid)?? Thanks (from an Aussie)
Reply
- Lisa says
Absolutely amazing, my hubby been asking for ages for a tipsy tart, I had no clue what is was and this recipe worked out amazing, thank you
Reply
- Magrieta says
Thank you for your Tipsy Tart recipe. I live in Germany and all my SA cook books are still in South Africa. My friends here love Tipsy Tart and I am so happy to have found yours. Do you have a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe without condensed milk?
Reply
- Jan Canovas says
Being a South African living in Spain, I was thrilled to find this blog Cooksister, with real SA recipies, I only have one old SA recipe book and now look forward to seeing any e-mail updates. Looking forward to trying this delicious sounding desert.
Thank you, and regards,
JanReply
- DIANA KENNEY says
how far in advance can you make tipsy tart and how best to store it please
Reply
Never miss a Cooksister post!
Search over 500 recipes
Recently on Cooksister
- L’Atelier Robuchon, Mayfair (2024)
- Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
- Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
- Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
- Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
- Antillean
- Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Archives by month
Archives by category
Popular posts
Featured on
Also available on
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: No feed found.
Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.
