Delia Smith treacle sponge pudding is a light steamed sponge, darkened with black treacle, that turns out under a pool of syrup. You whisk the all-in-one mixture for 2 minutes, then spoon it over syrup in a 1.2 litre basin and steam it for 2 hours. One pudding serves 6 to 8, and nearly all of the cooking is hands-off steaming.
Delia calls it pure comfort food for grey winter days. It steams away on its own, so you can get on with the rest of the meal while it cooks.
The twist in her version is a tablespoon of black treacle in the sponge itself. It gives a deeper colour and flavour than a plain syrup sponge. The syrup waits at the bottom of the basin, so it becomes a sticky topping when you turn the pudding out.
You will find the recipe in her Winter Collection (1995) and her Puddings collection (2006), and her website uses the same amounts today. Cooked individual puddings also freeze well in their basins for up to 3 months, her website says. After defrosting, they need about 15 minutes of steaming.
Delia Smith Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes2
hours5
minutes400
kcalAn all-in-one sponge with black treacle, cooked in a basin over syrup and turned out with more warm syrup poured over.
Ingredients
- For the pudding:
3 tablespoons golden syrup
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
175g (6oz) softened butter, plus extra for the basin
3 large eggs
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
1 tablespoon black treacle
- To serve:
3 extra tablespoons of the same syrup
custard or well-chilled crème fraîche
Directions
- Basin: Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin well. Grease a tablespoon, then measure the 3 tablespoons of syrup into the base.
- Mix: Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter, eggs, sugar and black treacle.
- Whisk: Beat everything with an electric hand whisk for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended.
- Fill: Spoon the mixture over the syrup and level the top with the back of a spoon.
- Cover: Lay a double sheet of foil, about 40 x 30cm, over the basin with a pleat across the middle. Tie string under the rim, take it over the top to make a handle, and trim off the extra foil.
- Steam: Set the basin in a steamer over a pan of boiling water and steam for 2 hours, checking the water halfway through.
- Serve: Loosen the pudding with a palette knife and turn it out onto a warm plate. Pour over the extra syrup, warmed if you like, and serve with custard or crème fraîche.
Notes
- Her website puts a sheet of greaseproof paper under the foil before tying it on.
- With no steamer, stand the basin on an upturned saucer in a large pan. Simmering water should come halfway up its sides, which is my own tip.
FAQs
Does it use treacle or syrup?
It uses both, which is what makes this version a little different. The syrup goes into the basin first and over the top at the end. A single tablespoon of black treacle goes into the sponge mixture.
A sealed tin of treacle keeps well past its date in a cool, dark cupboard, her website says, if it looks and smells fine. Her ginger sponge pudding uses a tablespoon too, so the tin will not go to waste.
How do I stop the steamer boiling dry?
Check the water level halfway through the steaming, as Delia does. Her 1992 Complete Cookery Course also adds two rules. Never let the pan boil dry or go off the boil, and top it up only with boiling water from the kettle.
Cold water stops the steaming and can leave the sponge heavy, which is my own explanation. The same care pays off for her xmas pud, which steams much longer, and her jam roly poly recipe, which takes the same 2 hours.
Can I make individual treacle sponges?
Yes, her website says the mixture fills 6 pudding basins of 175ml, or 8 if you want them smaller. Cover each one with a piece of strong foil, pleated across the middle and tied tightly under the rim.
Steam them for 25 minutes, until the tops feel firm and spring back when pressed lightly. Her sticky date pudding bakes in the same 175ml basins, so one set does for both.
Can I make it with wholemeal flour?
Yes, her Wholewheat Treacle Sponge, from the 1992 Complete Cookery Course, is a smaller version for 4 that she says is lighter than it sounds. Put 2 tablespoons of syrup in a well-buttered 850ml basin.
Beat 110g of sifted wholewheat flour with 2½ teaspoons of baking powder and 2 large eggs. Add 110g each of soft brown sugar and soft margarine too, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon it over the syrup, cover it with pleated foil and steam it for 1½ hours.
Her note gives a pressure-cooker time too: 20 minutes of steaming, then 45 minutes at 5lb pressure.
