Steamed Apple Sponge Pudding

Steamed Apple Sponge Pudding is such a great dessert. It is easy to make too. The recipe is from Olive Magazine. However I will detail, later, a couple of issues that I found, offering suggestions.

Historically steamed puddings are popular in the UK. Particularly sponge puddings. This one has apple in two forms. There is apple puree in the sponge mixture and slices or wedges of apple on the top. As well as that the sponge has some vanilla, cinnamon and ginger for additional flavour. Of course you can omit those if you wish. But I do find they add such a great flavour to the pudding.

Before I go any further let me talk about the original recipe from Olive Magazine. It calls for a 1.2 litre(2 pint) pudding basin. However, from my experience that is not large enough for the amount of batter. Particularly so since the recipe also suggests two apples are sliced and placed into the bowl. That volume of apple is also too much for a 1.2 litre bowl. So I have adjusted the recipe below to suggest a larger bowl, and leave the amount of apple to individual preference.

Process for Steamed Apple Sponge Pudding

The first thing to do is to make some apple puree. Of course you could use ready made, if you wish. Allow the puree to cool down before continuing. Then it is a simple task to make the batter. Simply cream butter and sugar together. Then add eggs and vanilla. Fold in self raising flour and the spices. Follow that by stirring in the puree. Milk is added until the batter drops in dollops from a spoon or spatula.

Place some golden syrup into the bottom of a greased pudding basin. Add slices or wedges of apple. Top that with the batter. Then cover the basin. For that you can use some parchment paper with a pleat in the centre, and then some aluminium foil too. If you have a basin with a lid that is good too.

Steam the pudding in a saucepan, with water half way up the side of the bowl, for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Basically that’s all there is to it.

Just a quick word about the flour. The recipe uses self raising flour but if you only have plain flour you can use that. However you will need to add about 2 tsp of baking powder into the flour.

My Sponge Pudding

As I alluded to earlier I didn’t use all the apple wedges suggested. I let the pudding gently steam for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Testing with a skewer let me know the pudding was ready. After removing it from the pan I turned it out onto a plate.

I left it to cool for a few minutes before cutting a slice and serving it with some custard. My goodness, it did taste good. The pudding was lovely and moist and so full of flavour. Ideal for a dessert, served with custard.

Another steamed pudding recipe is Steamed Lemon Sponge Pudding.

Steamed Apple Sponge Pudding

Recipe by geoffcoo

Course: Desserts, Stove top recipesDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 275g(10 oz) chopped apples

• 175g(1 cup + 3 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) self raising flour – see note below

• 175g(12 1/2 tbsp) softened unsalted butter

• 175g(3/4 cup+2 tbsp) caster sugar

• 3 large eggs(XL in USA)

• 25g(2 tbsp) light brown sugar

• 45ml(3 tbsp) milk – you may not need it all

• 10ml(2 tsp) vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract

• 3g(1 tsp) ground cinnamon

• 1.5g(1/2 tsp) ground ginger

• 50g(2 1/2 tbsp) golden syrup

• 2 apples peeled, cored and cut into slices or wedges – you may not use it all

Directions

• Place the light brown sugar into a pan, with 45ml(3 tbsp) of water and turn on the heat.
• Add the chopped apple and cook it, stirring from time to time, until it softens and can easily be pressed with a spoon to make a puree. Add a little more water if necessary during cooking.
• Set the puree aside to cool completely.
• Grease the inside of a 1.5 litre ( 2.5 Imperial pint or 3 US pint) basin.
• Put the golden syrup into the base of the pudding basin.
• Add slices of apple onto the syrup to form a couple of layers.
• In a large bowl place the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, with a little flour too, and beat until incorporated.
• Pour in the vanilla and beat again until incorporated.
• Mix the spices into the flour.
• Fold the flour into the batter.
• Stir in the apple puree until fully combined.
• Add milk, a little at a time until the batter is loose enough that large dollops fall from the spoon.
• Put the batter into the pudding basin, leaving a gap of about an inch at the top.
• Cover the basin with pleated parchment paper and then with pleated aluminium foil too.
• Press it down around the side of the bowl and tie it in place with string. you can use string to create a handle too, for lifting the bowl.
• Place an upturned saucer onto the base of a saucepan.
• Put the the basin on the top of it.
• Add enough just boiled water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the side of the basin.
• Cover the saucepan with a lid.
• Place the pan onto the stove and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Steam the pudding for 2 1/2 hours and then test with a skewer. If it comes out clean the pudding is ready. If the skewer is not clean steam the pudding for another 20 minutes and test again.
• Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve with custard.

Notes

• You can use plain flour, in the same amount, but add in 2 tsp of baking powder as well.