You will need:

  • 2 full tbsps of golden syrup. You will find that it will come off the spoon more easily if you either run a metal tablespoon under the hot tap first or, grease the spoon on both sides with a little extra butter or margarine.
  • 5 oz, 150 g, or 5 heaped tbsps, self-raising flour. This is achieved by filling the spoon, then knocking off the peak at the top but not allowing any of the rim to show, leaving a full, rounded shape.
  • 1 heaped tsp of ground ginger. Repeat the measuring method as given above using your teaspoon.
  • 3 oz, 75 g, or 3 level tbsps, of caster sugar. Do this by filling the spoon, then flattening the amount so you can just feel the rim all the way round, so that the sugar is sitting level in the bowl of the spoon.
  • 3 oz, 75 g, or 3 level tbsps of soft margarine at room temperature. Measure as for the sugar.
  • 2 oz, or 2 heaped tbsps of sultanas. Follow the guidelines for tbsp measurement, as given above for self-raising flour.
  • 2 medium sized eggs.
  • 2 tbsps of milk.
  • a little extra butter or margarine for greasing.
  1. Grease a 1 and a half to 2 pint, 1 litre, deep-sided pudding bowl that has a good rim.
  2. Put the golden syrup into the bottom of the greased bowl.
  3. Cream the fat and sugar together with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl, until light and fluffy.
  4. Measure out, and sift the flour and ginger into a clean bowl.
  5. Break the eggs individually into a cup to make sure they are fresh first, before pouring them into a bowl. Add two tablespoons of milk and whisk with a fork until they are well beaten and slightly frothy.
  6. Beat the egg into the creamed fat and flour a little at a time to ensure that the mix doesn’t curdle and that plenty of air is beaten in. You may be able to hear the air that you’ve added, as if you tap the side of the bowl, it will sound deep and hollow. Don’t panic if the mix does curdle, it will have no effect on the flavour or the finished result at all, the mixture just feels and looks a bit odd if this happens!
  7. There is no reason why you shouldn’t use an electric whisk or mixer in this recipe but only up to this point.
  8. Now, using a metal tablespoon only, gradually, (fold in) the flour a bit at a time, working from the outside of the mixture, bringing the flour in towards the centre of the bowl with the back of your spoon, turning the bowl round a little, after each spoon stroke. When all the flour has been combined, gently stir in the sultanas.
  9. This is quite a soft sponge mixture and should drop easily when a spoonful of it is gently shaken above the bowl. This means that it should be of a (soft, dropping consistency).
  10. Spoon the mixture into your greased pudding bowl, you’ll notice that it’s only two thirds full, because your sponge pud is going to need room to rise while its cooking.
  11. Level the top with a round bladed knife, keep the blade flat, run it across the top of the mix from one side to the other, turn the bowl round, repeating the process.
  12. Cover with a piece of greased, greaseproof, or silicone (bakewell) paper which is large enough to come right over the top and a little way down the outside of the bowl. Don’t worry about getting the size exactly right as you are going to hold it in place by covering it with a piece of baking foil that is large enough to come a couple of inches down the sides of the bowl.
  13. Secure both these layers around the outside of the bowl, below the rim, with string or a large rubber band.
  14. Stand your bowl inside a large saucepan that contains enough water to come half way up the sides of the bowl. Cover the pan with a lid and bring it to the boil.
  15. Turn down the heat a little and boil steadily for two hours. If you are careful, you will know if the pudding is steaming, you’ll hear the pan bubbling very gently, and if you lift the saucepan lid slightly, you will feel the steam slowly escaping.
  16. Make sure that the pan doesn’t boil dry by adding about half a pint of cold water half way through the cooking time, which can be done carefully by turning off the heat and using a jug to gently pour water down between the bowl and the side of the saucepan.
  17. Even better, If you have a graduated steamer, you can stand the pudding bowl inside that, then by standing the steamer on top of your saucepan and covering it with a lid, you will be able to add more water to the pan initially, and you won’t need to top up while the pud cooks.

This is one of my all time favourite puddings. Serve it with either hot custard, or whipped double cream.

Cook it on top of the stove while the oven is being used for something like a Lancashire hot pot or savoury lamb chops.

Enjoy it,

Sue.