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This recipe for Golden Syrup Steamed Pudding recipe came from my podcast guest, Tilda Bourne. Tilda grew up eating this Steamed Sponge Pudding at every holiday at her beloved Nan's house. Make sure you listen to Tilda's episode We'll Fight 'Em On The Beaches while you make her Golden Syrup Pudding!
When Tilda gave me this recipe for Golden Syrup Steamed Sponge Pudding, I felt like I needed a translator!!
Not only don't we have golden syrup readily available in America, I had never even heard of it before! We don't boil our sponge cakes (or any cake, as far as I know!) And, finally, pudding is something that is sold by JELLO and mixed with milk!!
When I finally got over my fears of boiling a cake, the cake was - surprise - a beautiful golden color and cooked totally through. The sponge is light and airy and soaks up all the golden deliciousness.
While Tilda associates this recipe most closely with Easter and birthdays, many love it for Christmas. Check out all of the Christmas Around the World recipes shared by my podcast guests!
Top Tips
- To make sure that the top of the golden syrup doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan or the side of the basin, make sure you grease the pudding basin well. A well-buttered pudding basin will ensure that the bottom of the pudding basin won't stick to the top of the pudding when you flip it onto a serving platter.
- This resource from the BBC recommends a double layer of aluminum foil and parchment paper or wax paper when making the top to place on the pudding basin before it is steamed. It also has a helpful video you can watch if the instructions are confusing.
British Puddings
In the United Kingdom, steamed pudding is a broad category that can be either a dessert or a savory dish. In the US, pudding is a sweet custard, but pudding in the UK refers to a dense cake or pastry that is typically steamed or boiled.
An example of a savory pudding would be steak and kidney puddings (pies) like this recipe from my podcast guest Paul Kelly.
Sweet puddings are probably more familiar to those of us in the US due to the lyrics "Oh, bring us some figgy pudding" in the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". A Christmas pudding is a must in the UK during the holidays as it has been around since medieval England, and is usually made of dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple, citrus juice/zest, brandy, and spices (The Spruce Eats). Puddings aren't limited to Christmas time though. It is a comfort food that is enjoyed all year round.
This BBC list of Great British Dessert Puddings showcases some of the most popular puddings, such as:
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Spotted Dick
- Plum Jam Roly Poly
- Marmalade Pudding
Ingredient and Substitutions
Tilda uses basic ingredients to achieve this sweet treat with a delicious golden syrup sauce.
- Self raising flour (cannot use regular wheat flour unless you add additional raising agents such as baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) or baking powder)
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Caster sugar
- Golden syrup (I recommend using Lyle's golden syrup)
Variations on Recipe
Looking for a variation on this golden syrup pudding recipe? The recipes below are good options for those who want something a little extra in their pudding, those with dietary preferences, or those with time constraints.
- If you are looking for something zesty, this recipe from Nigella uses lemon zest in her cake batter and adds lemon juice to the golden syrup topping.
- This recipe from Recipe Tin Eats is a butterscotch pudding! She still uses golden syrup but adds dark brown sugar (or dark muscovado sugar which contains more molasses) to achieve a butterscotch flavor.
- A Treacle Sponge Pudding, like this recipe from Christina's Cucina, has an additional ingredient of black treacle which gives the pudding a little bit of a bitter or burnt taste that is a distinctive taste to this classic British dessert.
- You can even make this recipe vegan, like this recipe from Domestic Gothess for a Vegan Golden Syrup Pudding.
- If you are in a rush and can't wait 1 and a half hours for your pudding, this recipe from Feast Glorious Feast created a Microwave Golden Syrup pudding.
Instructions
- Grease the pudding basin.
- Prepare a water bath in a large pan with a heatproof plate at the bottom.
- Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and gradually add flour.
- Pour golden syrup into the basin, then gently add the sponge mixture on top.
- Cover with greaseproof paper, leaving space for the pudding to rise, and tie with string.
- Lower into boiling water, ensuring the water comes halfway up the basin, and simmer.
- Once done, remove from water, loosen the pudding, and turn onto a warm serving plate.
- Serve with ice cream or custard!
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- 2 Litre pudding basin with a lid (lid is optional)
- Metal whisk OR stand mixer OR electric hand mixer
- Cooking twine
- Wax paper OR parchment paper OR aluminum foil
Storage
- The pudding is best the day it is made, but if you want to store it, you can place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- When reheating your pudding add extra golden syrup to prevent the pudding from drying out too much.
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Recipe
Classic British Golden Syrup Steamed Sponge Pudding Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
As this classic pudding slowly steams, the light sponge absorbs the sweet, rich unmistakeable flavor of Lyle's golden syrup.
Ingredients
- 10 oz self-rising flour
- 10 oz unsalted butter
- 5 large free range eggs
- 9 oz caster sugar
- 1 tin (454g) Lyle’s Golden Syrup
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
- Make sure to listen to Tilda on The Storied Recipe Podcast, We'll Fight 'Em On The Beaches while you make her Golden Syrup Pudding recipe!
Make The Recipe
- Grease the inside of a 2 litre pudding basin with butter.
- Get a large saucepan and place a heat-proof side plate in the bottom of the pan, upside down. Add 3 inches of cold water, and bring to the boil.
- Cream the butter and sugar until white and light.
- Beat the eggs and add bit by bit with the flour until all mixed.
- Fill the pudding basin 1/3 with syrup and add the sponge batter ontop, gently level the batter.
- Cover the pudding with grease-proof paper, creating a small fold in the middle of the paper to allow it to grow, then tie a string around the top to secure the paper, and make a handle with the string.
- Gently lower the pudding into the pan of water and top the saucepan up with hot water so it comes halfway up the basin. Then leave it on a simmer for 1 hour 30 mins.
- When it’s done, lift it out, remove the paper and string, run a knife around the pudding and then turn it out onto a rimmed plate.
- Serve with custard or ice cream.
Notes
Make sure to listen to Tilda on The Storied Recipe Podcast, We'll Fight 'Em On The Beaches while you make her Golden Syrup Pudding recipe!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 21
- Sodium: 33
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 39
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 128
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