Brown sugar prosperity cake with butterscotch sauce

Makes 6 cakes

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

This brown sugar prosperity cake is our take on the traditional Chinese New Year steamed sponge, Fat goh, which symbolises good luck and a prosperous year ahead. Light, fluffy, and with a little whiskey running through, it’s served with a rich butterscotch sauce that uses the same ingredients as the cake itself. Steaming is the secret to its tender texture—no fancy equipment needed, just a pan of boiling water and some small mugs or pudding moulds. A fusion of Chinese tradition and British comfort, it’s a simple, delicious dessert that’s perfect for sharing, whether you're celebrating or just hoping for a little extra luck.

Ingredients

For the cakes
140g	plain flour
1 ½ tsp	baking powder
½ tsp	flaked sea salt
180g	unsalted butter, at room temperature plus 10g for the moulds
180g	dark brown sugar
30g	ground almonds
3	eggs
2 tbsp	double cream
1 tbsp	whiskey
For the butterscotch sauce
60g	unsalted butter
130g	dark brown sugar
110ml	double cream
½ tsp	flaked sea salt
1 tbsp	whiskey

Method

Lightly brush 6 mini pudding moulds (7cm diameter, 5cm tall) with butter and set aside.
Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Add the salt, butter, sugar and ground almonds to the bowl of a stand mixer and, with the paddle attachment, cream on medium/high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Switch to medium/low speed and add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl in between. Switch to low speed and add half of the flour until just combined, followed by the cream and whisky. Add the remaining flour and mix until combined. Spoon about 115g of the batter into each mould and smooth the surface.
Fill a large, lidded, saucepan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the moulds and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and place the moulds directly into the saucepan. Wrap a kitchen towel around the lid, then cover and steam the cakes for 25-28 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch. Remove from the heat and let the cakes rest in the pot while you make the sauce.
Add everything except the whiskey to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey.
Carefully turn the cakes out from their moulds (you may need a firm tap on the base). Place each cake in a small bowl, and drizzle over the butterscotch sauce. Serve immediately.