Healthier Treacle Sponge Recipes

TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200ºC (180ºC Fan). Grease a 1.5l baking dish.
• In a bowl, mix together lemon juice, zest and golden syrup, pour into the bottom of the baking dish so the entire base is covered.
• In another bowl cream the butter, sugar and salt. Beat in the eggs and fold in the flour. Whisk in milk, so the batter has a dropping consistency.
• Pour mixture into baking dish and spread with a wet spoon or spatula. Bake in the oven for 35-40min. Serve warm with custard or ice cream.

HEALTHIER TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush 6 x 200ml pudding tins with the ¼ tsp oil, then sit them on a baking tray. Stir together 4 tbsp of the golden syrup, the orange zest and 2 tbsp orange juice and spoon a little into the bottom of each tin (step 1).
• Tip the flour, baking powder, sugar (breaking up any lumps with your fingers) and ground almonds into a large mixing bowl and make a dip in the centre. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then stir in the yogurt and treacle. Pour this mixture, along with the melted butter and remaining 2 tbsp oil, into the dry mixture (step 2) and stir together briefly with a large metal spoon, just so everything is well combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins (step 3). Bake for 20-25 mins or until the puddings have risen to the top of the tins and feel firm.
• Mix together the remaining 1 tbsp golden syrup and 1 tsp orange juice to drizzle over as a sauce. To serve, if the pudding tops have peaked slightly, slice off to level so they sit upright when turned out. Loosen around the sides with a round-bladed knife (step 4), then turn them out onto plates. Scrape out any syrupy bits remaining in the tins and put on top of the puddings, then drizzle a little of the syrup sauce over and around each one.

TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Butter a 1 litre baking dish, and dollop the syrup in the bottom.
• Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and blitz until pale.
• Beat in the eggs one by one, then the vanilla.
• Add the flour and pulse until just mixed.
• Scrape into the dish, on top of the syrup.
• Either cover with cling film and microwave on medium for 7 1/2 minutes or bake in the oven at 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 oven for 30 minutes until risen and golden.
• Serve with lashings of custard.

TREACLE SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix together the golden syrup with the breadcrumbs and lemon juice.
• Spoon the mixture into the bottom of a well-greased 2 pint pudding basin and set aside.
• To prepare the sponge, gently cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the grated lemon rind and slowly whisk in the eggs, a little at a time.
• Sift over the flour and gently whisk the mixture together.
• Add just enough milk for the mixture to drop easily from a spoon.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basin and cover with a disc of greaseproof paper, followed by a double piece of foil, tied under the rim of the basin with string.
• To steam the pudding: Place a small non-breakable saucer into the base of a large pan.
• Place the basin onto the saucer and fill the pan with boiling water two-thirds up the side of the basin.
• Cover and steam for between 1-3/4 to 2 hours.
• Do not let the water dry out by continually topping up the water to the two-thirds mark.
• Meanwhile, prepare the custard: Pour the milk, cream and the vanilla pod seeds into a small saucepan.
• Place over a gentle heat and slowly bring to the boil.
• In a medium sized bowl and using a wooden spoon mix together the egg yolks and caster sugar.
• Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly stir it into the egg mixture.
• Return the mixture back into the saucepan on a gentle heat.
• Stir the custard continuously, until thick without allowing the mixture to boil.
• If the custard becomes lumpy sieve the custard into a large warm jug to remove any lumps that have formed.
• Cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming.
• Remove the treacle sponge from the pan containing the hot water and allow to cool slightly.
• Invert onto a serving plate, ensuring that all the syrup is removed from the bottom of the basin.
• Serve with the custard.