Bakewell Tart Steamed Pudding
Prep. Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
Baking Time:
2 hours (steaming)
Total Time:
Serves:
8 servings
During Pudding Week in Series 8 of The Great British Baking Show, Stacey Hart transformed the beloved British Bakewell tart into a steamed pudding, practicing the recipe an extraordinary 17 times before presenting it in the tent. Her dedication paid off—Paul Hollywood was so impressed by the light, moist texture and harmonious flavors that he awarded her one of his prized handshakes. Stacey's innovative approach combined the classic almond sponge and cherry jam of a Bakewell tart with the comforting warmth of a traditional English steamed pudding, creating something both familiar and entirely new.
Chef's Notes: Addressing Judge Feedback
Paul Hollywood's Handshake Criteria: Paul awards handshakes for exceptional technique. Stacey's pudding earned his praise for being light, moist, and properly cooked throughout — avoiding the dreaded "stodgy bottom" he warned about.
Prue Leith on Texture: While Prue noted Stacey's sponge could have been "the lightest," she found it "delicious." To maximize lightness, ensure your butter and sugar are thoroughly creamed (the full 5 minutes matters) and fold the flour gently — never stir vigorously.
Avoiding Stodginess: Paul's biggest concern with steamed puddings is density. The key is proper creaming, gentle folding, and maintaining a consistent gentle simmer — too vigorous boiling creates a dense, heavy texture.
Preventing Sogginess: Prue called sogginess "a big no for me." Ensure your basin is properly sealed so steam doesn't infiltrate the sponge. The pleated paper and foil lid allows for expansion while keeping moisture out.
Testing for Doneness: As Prue noted, "It's extremely difficult to tell if it's cooked." After 2 hours, the pudding should feel springy when pressed through a small opening in the covering. If in doubt, test with a skewer — it should come out clean.
Troubleshooting Guide
ProblemCauseSolutionDense, heavy spongeUnderbeaten butter/sugar; overmixed batterCream for full 5 minutes; fold flour gentlySoggy textureSteam infiltration; insufficient cooking timeEnsure tight seal; maintain full 2-hour steamPudding collapsedLid lifted during steaming; temperature fluctuationNever peek; keep simmer consistentWon't unmoldInsufficient greasing; not restedGrease thoroughly; rest 5 minutes before invertingStodgy bottomWater bath too vigorous; uneven heatMaintain gentle simmer onlyLumpy custardEggs scrambled from high heatCook over low heat; whisk constantly; strainCustard too thinUndercookedReturn to heat; continue stirring until it coats spoonJam too runnyUndercookedSimmer longer until it mounds on a spoon
Make-Ahead Tips
Cherry Jam: Can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Sponge Batter: Best made fresh, but prepared batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before steaming.
Assembled Pudding (Pre-Steam): Can be prepared and covered, then refrigerated overnight. Add 15 minutes to steaming time if starting cold.
Cooked Pudding: Can be steamed up to 2 days ahead. Cool completely, keep covered in basin, and refrigerate. To reheat, steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour until heated through.
Custard: Best made fresh, but can be made several hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, refrigerate, and gently reheat while stirring.
Variations
Raspberry Bakewell Pudding: Replace cherry jam with seedless raspberry jam and use frozen raspberries folded into the sponge.
Blackberry and Almond: Use blackberry jam as the base and scatter fresh blackberries around the finished pudding.
Cherry Amaretto Version: Add 1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur to the custard for a more intense almond flavor.
Gluten-Free Adaptation: Replace self-rising flour with gluten-free self-rising flour blend; increase almond flour to ½ cup for structure.
Individual Puddings: Divide among six 6-ounce ramekins; reduce steaming time to 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Ingredients
Instructions
MAKE THE CHERRY JAM (CAN BE DONE 1-2 DAYS AHEAD):
Place halved, pitted cherries in a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Set over low heat, stirring gently until the juices release and sugar dissolves completely.
Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for about 20 minutes. The fruit should become very soft and the mixture noticeably thickened—it will continue to set as it cools.
Transfer jam to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. The jam can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
PREPARE YOUR STEAMING SETUP:
Place an upturned small saucer or trivet in the bottom of a large, deep pot. Fill the pot about one-quarter full with hot water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Generously grease the inside of your 1-quart (1-liter) pudding basin with softened butter, ensuring complete coverage up the sides.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of the cooled cherry jam into the bottom of the greased basin. Refrigerate briefly to firm up while you prepare the sponge.
If you don't have a snap-on lid, cut a 10-inch disc each of parchment paper and aluminum foil. Grease the parchment on one side. Create a 1-inch pleat across the center of each disc to allow for expansion during steaming.
MAKE THE ALMOND SPONGE:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become very pale, light, and fluffy—this step is critical for a light sponge.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. This prevents curdling. Add the almond extract with the final addition of egg.
Using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently fold in half of the sifted flour until just incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, then fold in the remaining flour. Add additional milk as needed—the batter should drop thickly from a spoon when tapped on the bowl's edge, forming a reluctant ribbon.
Gently fold in the almond flour until evenly distributed. Do not overmix—stop as soon as you no longer see streaks.
Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared pudding basin over the cherry jam. Spread the top level with a spatula, ensuring no air pockets remain.
STEAM THE PUDDING:
If using a snap-on lid, secure it firmly. If using parchment and foil, place the greased parchment (greased side down) over the basin, then the foil. Tie securely under the rim with kitchen string. Create a handle by looping additional string across the top and tying to the sides for easier lifting.
Carefully lower the basin onto the saucer in the simmering pot. The water should come about one-third up the sides of the basin. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and maintain a gentle simmer.
Steam for 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes and topping up with boiling water as needed—never let it boil dry. Critical: Do not lift the pudding lid during steaming; this can cause the sponge to collapse.
MAKE THE VANILLA CUSTARD:
Pour the cream into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod half and add both seeds and pod to the cream. Heat gently over low heat until steaming and just below a simmer—do not boil.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar until smooth, pale, and slightly thickened.
Remove vanilla pod from cream. Very slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. The custard is ready when it coats the back of the spoon and a line drawn through it holds—this takes 3-5 minutes. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle.
Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed serving jug. Keep warm by placing the jug in a bowl of hot water, or reheat gently before serving.
UNMOLD AND SERVE:
When the 2 hours are complete, carefully remove the basin from the pot. Remove the covering and let the pudding stand for 5 minutes—this allows it to set slightly and makes unmolding easier.
Run a thin palette knife or butter knife around the edge of the pudding to release it. Place a warm serving plate over the basin, then quickly and confidently invert. The pudding should release with a satisfying thunk and the cherry jam will cascade down the sides.
Arrange fresh raspberries around the base of the pudding and scatter toasted sliced almonds over the top. Serve generous wedges with warm vanilla custard.
