Salted Caramel Angel Pudding Cake

Salted Caramel Angel Pudding Cake

By: Darlene - Peoria, AZ - 2nd Place Winner 2015

"My husband loves bread pudding so I am always looking for new ways to add some fun to a quick and easy dessert. I had left over angel food cake and decided to see if it would work. I used a basic bread pudding recipe and added cream cheese. I toasted the cake pieces but a stale cake would work without toasting or simply cut the cake into pieces and allow it to dry out for an hour or overnight. The cake added a really light texture, almost like a pudding and had a wonderful caramel coffee aroma. The caramel sauce added the finishing touch. We really liked it served hot or slightly warmed. Note: I used a store bought angel food cake but you could make your own. You can also use caramel ice cream topping to save time."

This is a user-submitted recipe. It was also tested in the kitchen of the Door County Coffee Café.

Ingredients

Featured ingredient: Heavenly Caramel Coffee 10 oz. Bag Ground

  • 1-prepared angel food cake (5½ cups)
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups half and half
  • ½ cup Door County brewed Heavenly Caramel or Vanilla Crème Brulee coffee
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
  • Caramel sauce: 1 cup sugar,6 tablespoons butter,½ cup heavy cream,
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Butter bottom and sides of 8x8 inch baking pan or 4-4 inch oven proof crocks
  2. Tear cake into 1 or 2 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet
  3. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes, tossing pieces with a spatula after 5 minutes so all sides are toasted
  4. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl
  5. Cut or break cream cheese into dime size pieces and gently toss it into the cake mixture
  6. Fold mixture into prepared pan
  7. In another large bowl whisk remaining ingredients until well combined and pour mixture over cake
  8. Gently press cake down into liquid and allow mixture to set for 10 minutes
  9. Place pan in a larger pan and fill larger pan with 1½ inches of water
  10. Gently place pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until custard is set and no longer moves when touched. Cover pudding with foil if it becomes too brown on top
  11. To make caramel sauce:
    • Melt sugar over medium heat until it turns to liquid and becomes amber in color. It will form clumps and then melt. Be careful not to burn sugar.
    • Once the sugar melts reduce heat slightly and add butter( Pan will bubble and spatter when butter is added)
    • Continue to heat until butter is incorporated and then slowly drizzle in cream
  12. Serve sauce over pudding
  13. Sprinkle with salt and chopped pecans