Steamed treacle sponge pudding with custard recipe

Sticky sweet steamed treacle sponge pudding with homemade creamy custard - what more could you want?

If you're looking for a comforting dessert perfect for sharing with family after a full roast dinner, we give you the steamed treacle sponge pudding with homemade custard. This sticky sweet pudding is made with golden syrup, black treacle, and light brown sugar, with a hint of lemon zest and perfectly paired with our homemade vanilla custard made with double cream. 

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 175g (6oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 3tbsp golden syrup
• 1tbsp black treacle
• 175g (6oz) light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ½ lemon, zest only
• 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
• 1-2tbsp milk

For the custard:

• 284ml pot double cream
• 250ml (9fl oz) milk
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 5 egg yolks
• 50g (2oz) caster sugar
• 1tbsp cornflour

Method

1. Grease a 1ltr pudding basin and drizzle in the syrup and treacle.
2. Cream sugar and butter together with a whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a bit at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the zest and flour, and gently fold to combine. Use the milk to loosen the mixture.
3. Pour into the prepared pudding basin and level. Cover with pleated greaseproof paper, then cover with foil and tie with string. Put in a pan of boiling water and steam for 2 hrs.
4. To make the custard, mix the cream and milk in a pan with the vanilla seeds and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Whisk the hot milk into the bowl, then return to the pan. Over a low heat, stir until the custard coats the back of a spoon. If it starts to curdle, remove from heat and whisk until smooth.

Top tips for making treacle sponge pudding

Treacle sponge puddings are best homemade as opposed to shopbought. They may take a tad longer to prepare and cook, but the sponge is much softer, moister and more naturally sweet. Here are some of our top tips for making treacle sponge pudding.

Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen Pudding Basin with Lid - View at Amazon

Before you steam your pudding, you'll need to perfect the pudding basin with a lid. This off-white ceramic pudding basin by Mason Cash is a recommended choice as it's perfect for a range of different steamed puddings including treacle sponge, Christmas pudding, chocolate, and more.

Not what you're looking for? Never fear, we have plenty of delicious puddings to choose from including our steamed chocolate pudding, and our popular lemon sponge pudding; which uses six ingredients, and if you're feeling festive, Mary Berry's Christmas pudding is certainly worth rustling up.