Steamed Golden Sponge Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a two pint heat proof bowl or basin.
• In large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Add, a little at a time, beaten eggs, vanilla and flour, until well mixed. Fold in milk to make a smooth consistency.
• Pour syrup in bottom of prepared basin and layer batter over the top. Cover basin with firmly tied parchment paper covered with foil. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place basin on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the basin.
• Steam in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until pudding springs back when touched. Invert onto serving plate and serve warm.

Steps:

• Generously grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin and put your chosen topping in the base. Boil a kettle of water. To prepare your steamer, put a snugly fitting upturned bowl in the base of a large, deep saucepan, big enough to hold the pudding.
• Put the ingredients for the sponge in a food processor and blend until smooth (but don't overwork the mix), then tip into the pudding basin. Cover with a lid made of baking parchment and foil, and tie with string to secure (see step-by-step). Stand the pudding on the upturned bowl in your saucepan. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Set over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to steam for 2½ hrs, topping up with boiling water if the level gets too low.
• Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer through the foil and parchment lid into the centre of the pudding. If the skewer still has some wet mixture on it, return the pudding to the steamer for a further 15-20 mins, then check again. Once cooked, uncover and turn the pudding onto a plate. Serve straight away with custard, if you like.