Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe

This traditional Eve’s Pudding is a Sunday lunch staple as well as being wonderfully light! Baking the sponge directly on top of the fruit makes the Bramley apples go fluffy and tart, which along with the golden buttery crumb adds a comforting sweetness to this pudding that is so perfect with hot custard.

Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe Ingredients

• The Fruit Base:
  • 450g (1 lb) Bramley cooking apples
  • 75g (3 oz) demerara sugar (or granulated)
  • 2 whole cloves (optional, but classic Delia)
• The Sponge Topping:
  • 75g (3 oz) butter, softened
  • 75g (3 oz) caster sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 110g (4 oz) self-raising flour, sifted
  • 2–3 tbsp milk

How To Make Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe

1. Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4). Grease a 1.2 liter (2 pint) pie dish or pudding basin with a little butter.
2. Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and slice the Bramley apples. You don’t need to slice them too thinly; chunky slices are fine as they break down easily.
3. Layer the base: Arrange the apple slices in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the apples and tuck the two whole cloves in amongst the fruit. Add a teaspoon of water if the apples seem very dry.
4. Cream the butter: In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. (You can use a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk).
5. Add the egg: Gradually beat in the egg, a little at a time, beating well after each addition to prevent curdling.
6. Fold the flour: Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the sifted flour.
7. Loosen the mixture: Stir in the milk. You want the batter to be a “soft dropping consistency”—meaning it drops reluctantly from the spoon when you give it a tap.
8. Top the fruit: Spoon the sponge mixture over the apples. Use a palette knife to spread it out evenly, ensuring the apples are completely covered right to the edges to seal the steam in.
9. Bake: Bake on a shelf just above the center of the oven for 40–45 minutes. The pudding is ready when the sponge is golden brown, risen, and firm to the touch.
10. Serve: Serve straight from the oven while piping hot.

Recipe Tips!

• Bramley Magic: You must use Bramley apples (cooking apples). Eating apples hold their shape, but Bramleys collapse into a snowy, fluffy purée that melds with the sponge bottom. It creates the unique texture of Eve’s Pudding!
• Clove Caution: The cloves add a subtle, warming perfume that lifts the apple flavor. However, remember to warn your guests or fish them out when serving, as biting into a whole clove is intense!
• The Seal: Spreading the sponge to the very edge of the dish creates a seal. This steams the apples rapidly underneath. If you leave gaps, the apples might dry out and the sponge edges can burn.
• Sugar Swap: Delia uses demerara for the fruit because it adds a toffee-like crunch and flavor, but golden caster sugar works well too if that’s all you have.

What To Serve With Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe?

This Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe is a dessert that demands a creamy partner! A jug of hot, yellow Custard is the non-negotiable British pairing, warming you from the inside out. For a colder contrast, a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream melting over the hot sponge creates a delicious sauce! If you want to keep it simple, pouring double cream straight from the jug is pure indulgence.

How To Store Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe

• Refrigerate: Cover the leftover pudding with foil and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sponge will firm up when cold.
• Reheat: This pudding is definitely best warm! Reheat portions in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, or put the whole dish back in a warm oven for 15 minutes.
• Freeze: You can freeze the baked pudding. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw fully before reheating.

Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 350 kcal
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Protein: 4g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (serves 4).

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Delia Smith Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
• Delia Smith Yorkshire Pudding​ Recipe
• Delia Smith Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe