Traditional Steamed Jam Pudding [slow cooker recipe]

Course: Dessert, pudding

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 15

Servings: -6

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Jacq

Steamed puddings prepared in the slow cooker are easy, budget-friendly, and warming, however you can also cook the pudding using a stove-top. Steamed puddings are just so comforting when enjoyed with hot custard snuggling up on the sofa watching your favourite soap or a good movie.

For a golden syrup pudding use 5 tablespoons of golden syrup instead of fruit jam.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Mixing bowl
sieve
mixing spoon
3.5 litre [3.5-4 quart] slow cooker [or slightly larger]
2 pint [1 litre/1 quart] pudding bowl [such as a heat-proof Pyrex bowl, ceramic pudding basin or plastic pudding bowl]
parchment/baking paper
kitchen foil

Ingredients

175 gram self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
60 grams granulated sugar
60 grams apple sauce [smooth] or apple puree
75 mililitres vegetable oil [such as rapeseed/sunflower]
1½ teaspoons vanilla essence
5 tablespoons milk [we use soya or oat milk but you can use your usual milk]

Add to bottom of pudding basin:

100 grams fruit jam [such as strawberry or raspberry]

For greasing the basin:

margarine or butter

Instructions

Prepare the pudding basin:

Grease the pudding basin generously with margarine. This will help the cooked pudding slip out the basin easily.
margarine or butter
Add the fruit jam to the bottom of the pudding basin.
100 grams fruit jam

Prepare the basin lid:

Cut a circular piece of parchment paper just slightly larger that the top of your pudding basin, and a circular piece of kitchen foil that overlaps 1-2 inches over the basin.
[some pudding bowls such as plastic ones may have a clip top lid so if its suitable for cooking use the lid instead of the parchment and foil]

Prepare the pudding:

Pour a few cups of water into the slow cooker and switch the cooker to the high setting.
Add the slow cooker lid and it will preheat while you mix the pudding ingredients.
Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, apple sauce and milk.
175 gram self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt, 60 grams granulated sugar, 60 grams apple sauce, 75 mililitres vegetable oil, 1½ teaspoons vanilla essence, 5 tablespoons milk
Give it all a good mix so it's thoroughly combined.
Add the pudding mixture to the pudding basin directly onto the fruit jam, being careful not to mix the mixture into the jam.
Place the parchment circle over the top of the pudding basin [not directly on the pudding] and lay the kitchen foil over the paper. Scrunch the edges of the foil tightly under the rim of the pudding basin.
Place into the slow cooker and pour boiling water until its half way [or just higher than half way] up the pudding basin.

Cook the pudding:

Add the lid and cook for 4 hours.
After 4 hours carefully remove the pudding basin and take off the lids. The pudding will have risen, be golden brown and wrinkly, and a skewer popped in will come out clean. The pudding will also be coming away a little from the sides.
Leave the pudding for a few minutes to settle before attempting to remove from the basin.
Slide a cutlery knife or cake palette knife around the edges. Add a chopping board or plate to the pudding basin top, and flip the basin over so that it can easily slide out. The jam will drip down the edges.

Serve the pudding:

Enjoy with hot custard, or a drizzle of cream, or a few scoops of ice cream.
Alternatively [or perhaps as well as any of the above] If you have any fruit jam left, gently heat it in a small saucepan with 1-2 tablespoons of water, and stir together. Use the warm runny jam as a tasty jam sauce for those that love extra jam with their pudding.

For stove-top method:

Follow the main method above, but reduce the cooking time to 2 hours. Place the pudding basin in a large pot. Fill the pot with boiling water so that the water level sits half way up the pudding basin. Bring the water to a gentle boil and keep it constantly gently boiling for 2 hours, or until the pudding is cooked. You will have to top up the boiling water as it cooks as it will evaporate. Also tie a piece of string around the baking paper and foil lid so that it remains securely fitted during cooking.

Notes

Nutritional information is for guidance only and is not intended to be a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
Steamed puddings are at their best enjoyed soon after cooking, but they can be stored for 3 days in a covered food container, within a refrigerator.
To reheat place back into the pudding basin and cover with kitchen foil and add the basin to a saucepan with gently boiling water, reheat until warmed through.
Or reheat in a microwave by adding to a microwave safe dish, cover loosely with a microwave safe lid and heat for a a minutes or so until hot.
For an extra jam topping, gently heat some fruit jam mixed with about 1-2 tablespoons of water [depending on how much jam you use, the water is just to loosen it up]. Pour the warm jam over the pudding, this is especially nice if you are reheating the pudding.
For a traditional 1800s British steamed pudding termed black-cap pudding add blackcurrant jam to the base of the pudding. Steamed jam pudding was also known as jam capped pudding.
Instead of fruit jam, marmalade can be used, such as orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit.
For a golden syrup pudding replace the jam with 5 tablespoons of golden syrup.

Nutrition