Basic Sponge Pudding Recipes

SYRUP SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a two pint heat proof bowl or basin.
• In large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Add, a little at a time, beaten eggs, vanilla and flour, until well mixed. Fold in milk to make a smooth consistency.
• Pour syrup in bottom of prepared basin and layer batter over the top. Cover basin with firmly tied parchment paper covered with foil. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place basin on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the basin.
• Steam in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until pudding springs back when touched. Invert onto serving plate and serve warm.

SIMPLE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whip together the eggs and castor sugar until fluffy. Fold in flour. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan over a wire rack.

10 MINUTE SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the eggs and vanilla essence.
• Add the flour, milk and lemon zest.
• Put the golden syrup in the bottom of a two pint bowl.
• Spoon the mixture on top.
• Cover and place in the microwave.
• Cook on high for 3.5 minutes. Sometimes, the pudding needs another 1.5 minutes on top of this.
• Variations: Any flavourings can be omitted or added. For example, add raisins (leaving our the syrup) and you have spotted dick!

BASIC SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven Gas 4/355F degrees.
• Well butter 2 1/2 to 3 inch deep pie dish.
• Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time with a little flour until smooth.
• Add remaining flour, baking powder (if used) and salt, beating well.
• Add the milk, and beat again.
• Pour mixture into dish and smooth the top.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until well risen and brown.
• Variations to the Basic Sponge: Sultana Sponge; Put 2 oz sultanas in the bottom and around the sides of a well buttered dish, pour on the mixture.
• Apricot Sponge: Add 3 soaked apricots chopped small, to the mixture, put 3 or 4 apricot halves in the bottom of the dish, pour on the sponge mixture.
• Jam Sponge: Put 3 or 4 tblsp of any kind of jam in the bottom of the dish, pout on the sponge mixture.
• Syrup Sponge: Put 1 tblsp of golden syrup in the bottom of the dish, pour on mixture.
• Chocolate Sponge; Substitute 1 tblsp cocoa for 1 oz.
• flour, sieving it with the flour.
• Ginger Sponge; Add 1 tspn ground ginger to the flour and use 4 oz golden syrup instead of sugar, melted in warmed milk.
• Black Cap Pudding:Put a tblspn cleaned currants in the bottom of the dish, pour on the mixture.

LEMON SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter seven 4 1/2-ounce pots de creme pots, or six 6-ounce ramekins; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together butter, granulated sugar and salt. Stir in yolks. Add flour, milk, and lemon juice and zest; mix until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into butter mixture.
• Ladle batter into prepared pots de creme pots. Transfer pots to a roasting pan. Pour boiling water around pots to come halfway up the sides. Bake until just set and lightly golden, about 20 minutes (25 minutes for ramekins). Remove from roasting pan; let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

EASY JAM SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a 25cm square or 20 x 30cm rectangular cake tin or baking dish.
• Beat the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract together until smooth. Spread the jam over the base of the tin, and dollop over the cake batter. Spread over evenly. Bake for 20-25 mins until the sponge is light golden and risen, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes back clean. Serve warm with custard, cream or ice cream.