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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert / Cape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisited

Cape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisited

by Jeanne Horak on March 21, 2010 31 Comments in Dessert, South African

[As I am currently on holiday, this is an edited re-posting of one of the first traditional South African desserts 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 Coke 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 known by at least three names:  dadelpoeding (its Afrikaans name meanind date pudding), Cape brandy pudding, and tipsy tart.  The last one is a misnomer in that it’s not a tart at all…. 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)
 
Print
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
 
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
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease an oven-proof dish.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Mix in the nuts and pour into the greased dish. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean
  5. 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.
  6. Serve the pudding with the syrup poured over it and top with some whipped cream (or custard if preferred).
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  1. Jamie says

    March 21, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Oooh 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
  2. Maninas says

    March 21, 2010 at 11:26 am

    I love the name of this pudding! 😉
    Enjoy your trip!

    Reply
  3. Wizzythestick says

    March 21, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    This pudding looks divine.

    Reply
  4. Myfrenchkitchen says

    March 22, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    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..
    Ronell

    Reply
  5. Thea Thomas (Griet`s World) says

    March 22, 2010 at 5:22 pm

    Dear Jeanne.
    Thank you so much for your informative talk(s) on Saturday. Although I am not a “foodie” I learned alot.

    Reply
  6. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    March 22, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    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
  7. nina says

    March 23, 2010 at 7:05 am

    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
  8. bigjobsboard says

    March 23, 2010 at 8:54 am

    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
  9. Rosemary says

    March 23, 2010 at 10:39 am

    While I don’t share my compatriots love for Klippies and Coke, I love this pudding.

    Reply
  10. Marisa says

    March 23, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    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
  11. tasteofbeirut says

    March 23, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    I can see why your fellow countrymen love it! dates and a splash of brandy? sure! I want some!

    Reply
  12. Manggy says

    March 23, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    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
  13. Mowie @ Mowielicious says

    March 23, 2010 at 3:46 pm

    Cute name! Loving the ingredients, with the dates and the nuts and the vanilla – yummy!

    Reply
  14. Rebecca Lynn says

    March 28, 2010 at 10:17 pm

    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
  15. courtney says

    April 1, 2010 at 8:10 pm

    The famous pudding. you have tuned me onto to baking with brandy. Love it!

    Reply
  16. Bordeaux says

    April 6, 2010 at 10:51 pm

    I still have not tried making brandy pudding. Maybe we’ll try making it for the in-laws while here in the States!

    Reply
  17. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says

    May 14, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    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
  18. Kim says

    December 21, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    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
  19. Karen says

    February 19, 2016 at 1:03 am

    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
  20. Lisa says

    October 21, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    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
  21. Magrieta says

    November 3, 2017 at 10:27 am

    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
  22. Jan Canovas says

    December 13, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    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,
    Jan

    Reply
  23. DIANA KENNEY says

    April 14, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    how far in advance can you make tipsy tart and how best to store it please

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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