Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 6-cup (1.5-litre) pie dish or ovenproof dish.
• 2.
  Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add egg and vanilla and beat until ingredients are well combined.
• 3.
  In a separate bowl, sift the flour with baking powder and a pinch of salt.
• 4.
  In batches, add dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with buttermilk, and mix well. Spoon into the prepared dish and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Pour sauce over pudding as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• 5.
  For sauce, while pudding is in the oven, combine sugars, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan if needed. Bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, over medium heat for around 10 minutes until it reaches ‘hard-ball’ stage (122°C on a sugar thermometer) or is frothy on top with large bubbles around the edges.
• 6.
  Add butter and stir to combine, then continue to simmer, swirling pan from time to time, for about 5 minutes until it reaches ‘hard-crack’ stage (154°C) or is very dark and frothy and smells of almost-burnt caramel. Carefully (it may spit), add cream a little at a time, stirring, until well combined and smooth.
• 7.
  Remove from heat and pour over the hot pudding as soon as it is removed from the oven.
• 8.
  Serve the pudding hot, with ice-cream or cream.