Pumpkin Pouding au Chomeur

Pouding au chomeur, or poor man's pudding, is a traditional French Canadian dessert adapted to pumpkin flavour here. If you want to try the original flavour use butter and egg instead of pumpkin and leave out the spices.

1 cup sugar
2 tbsps butter, softened (or 2 tbsps pumpkin purée)
1 egg (or 1/4 cup pumpkin purée)
1  3/4 cup flour
1  1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

Syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups milk or cream (or combination of both)
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and butter (or pumpkin) together.  Add egg (or additional pumpkin).
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and spices.

Add to the sugar mixture alternating with the milk until combined. Pour into a greased 2.5 L baking dish. Set aside.

For the syrup:
In a saucepan bring sugar, milk and butter to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour over cake using a spoon so that where you're pouring doesn't make a hole in the cake. Do not stir.  As the cake bakes this syrup will go to the bottom to form a sauce.

Bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes.

 Check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick.

Serve plain or with whipped cream.