Victorian Cabinet Pudding – Lavender and Lovage

Victorian Cabinet Pudding – My inspiration for today’s recipe, was taken from Mrs Crocombe, and her videos with English Heritage

A Traditional Steamed Pudding with Many Names!

My inspiration for today’s recipe, Victorian Cabinet Pudding, was taken from Mrs Crocombe, and her videos with English Heritage.

Avis Crocombe was the cook at Audley End, arriving in 1881, she then left in 1884 to marry Benjamin Stride, who had been butler to the Throckmorton family of Coughton Court in Warwickshire.

I have been meaning to make this classic recipe for many years, as I remember having it at a restaurant and enjoying it. Plus, it’s a fabulous recipe to use up stale cake or sponge fingers.

Despite the fact that this pudding is fairly simple, it always looks stunning when it is turned out, as I think you’ll agree mine does, with it’s glowing candied & crystallised fruits.

Although I have called this a Victorian pudding, a version of it is popular in France, where it is called “Poudin a la chanceliere”. However, it is baked in a mould, rather than being steamed.

You will also see this pudding, or variations of it, being called Newcastle Pudding, Chancellors Pudding, or Diplomat Pudding.

Whatever the name, I based my recipe on the one that Mrs Crocombe suggested in her video, with a few tweaks here and there, based on what ingredients I had to hand.

I used stale almond fingers, and some macaroons, as well as homemade crystallised orange peel, and some rather pretty glace cherries and candied stem ginger.

Many recipes I found in old cookbooks suggest you can use stale bread, stale sweet bread, stale sponge cake, or sponge fingers and macarons, as in small almond biscuits such as amaretti.

The custard is enriched with a goodly slug of booze – Mrs Crocombe suggests brandy, I didn’t have any, so I used sweet sherry and white port, which was absolutely delicious in the egg custard.

I found the steamed pudding very moist, with no need for extra custard; but, I had some custard left after making it, so I heated that up and served it with the hot, fluffy pudding.

I hope you enjoy this classic British steamed pudding as much as we did – why not serve it over Christmas and the New Year, with any leftover or lingering cakes, and candied fruits etc.

It would also make a wonderful centre-piece for your Thanksgiving table too, or how about serving it with a flourish after Sunday lunch, with a glass of port or sherry?

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Video of Mrs Crocombe making Cabinet Pudding

Pressure Cooker Instructions

Pour 1/2 pint (300ml) boiled water to the main bowl of the Ninja Foodi, or to any multi-cooker or pressure cooker you are using.

Add the reversable rack into the pressure cooker or Ninja Foodi bowl, then sit the pudding basin on the rack, using the two moveable handles to secure it in place. (If using a traditional pressure cooker, sit the basin on a trivet)

Close the lid and turn the pressure release valve to SEAL.Move the programme slider right over to the LEFT to PRESSURE.

Set the pressure to HIGH for 60 minutes and press the START button.The machine will beep and naturally release the pressure; you can release it by turning the pressure release valve to VENT if you wish, this is quicker.

Carefully remove the pudding from the machine using the racks handles, or the string if used.

Remove the paper and foil and invert on to a serving plate. Serve immediately with custard.

More Sweet Pudding Recipes

Audley End Kitchen

Audley End and Avis & Benjamin Stride photos: English Heritage

Victorian Cabinet Pudding Recipe

Victorian Cabinet Pudding

Yield:
8

Prep Time:
45 minutes

Cook Time:
1 hour

Total Time:
1 hour 45 minutes

My inspiration for today’s recipe, Victorian Cabinet Pudding, was taken from Mrs Crocombe, and her videos with English Heritage.

Avis Crocombe was the cook at Audley End, arriving in 1881, she then left in 1884 to marry Benjamin Stride, who had been butler to the Throckmorton family of Coughton Court in Warwickshire.

I have been meaning to make this classic recipe for many years, as I remember having it at a restaurant and enjoying it. Plus, it’s a fabulous recipe to use up stale cake or sponge fingers.

Despite the fact that this pudding is fairly simple, it always looks stunning when it is turned out, as I think you’ll agree mine does, with it’s glowing candied & crystallised fruits.

Although I have called this a Victorian pudding, a version of it is popular in France, where it is called “Poudin a la chanceliere”. However, it is baked in a mould, rather than being steamed.

You will also see this pudding, or variations of it, being called Newcastle Pudding, Chancellors Pudding, or Diplomat Pudding.

Whatever the name, I based my recipe on the one that Mrs Crocombe suggested in her video, with a few tweaks here and there, based on what ingredients I had to hand.

I used stale almond fingers, and some macaroons, as well as homemade crystallised orange peel, and some rather pretty glace cherries and candied stem ginger.

Many recipes I found in old cookbooks suggest you can use stale bread, stale sweet bread, stale sponge cake, or sponge fingers and macarons, as in small almond biscuits such as amaretti.

The custard is enriched with a goodly slug of booze – Mrs Crocombe suggests brandy, I didn’t have any, so I used sweet sherry and white port, which was absolutely delicious in the egg custard.

I found the steamed pudding very moist, with no need for extra custard; but, I had some custard left after making it, so I heated that up and served it with the hot, fluffy pudding.

I hope you enjoy this classic British steamed pudding as much as we did – why not serve it over Christmas and the New Year, with any leftover or lingering cakes, and candied fruits etc.

It would also make a wonderful centre-piece for your Thanksgiving table too, or how about serving it with a flourish after Sunday lunch, with a glass of port or sherry?

Ingredients

• Softened butter
• Different coloured glacé cherries
• Candied citrus peel
• Candied stem ginger
• 115g/4oz sponge cake, or sponge fingers, stale or fresh
• 115g/4oz amaretti biscuits or macaroons
• 450ml/16 fluid oz full fat milk or single cream (I used a mixture of both)
• 85g/3oz white caster sugar
• 5 small egg yolks and 2 whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 55ml/2 fluid oz brandy, sherry, Madeira, or white port

Instructions

Prepare your decorations by slicing the ginger into rounds (or stamping into shapes), cutting the peel, and halving the cherries.

Slice your sponge cake to fit the basin, and cut the sponge fingers in half if using.

Next, prepare a custard by heating the milk and cream in a pan with the sugar and vanilla extract and pouring it onto the lightly beaten eggs.

Put this back into the pan and cook over a low heat until it thickens slightly. Do not scramble the eggs!

Alternatively, if you are an unconfident custard maker, put all of the custard ingredients into a pan along with a tablespoon of cornflour, and heat, whisking or stirring with a spatula, until it thickens.

Add the brandy, sherry, Madeira or white port and set aside to cool.

Grease your pudding basin or mould very well with the softened butter. Now decorate with your prepared candied fruits, sticking everything firmly into the butter but ensuring that your decoration only comes ¾ of the way up the sides.

Carefully place a layer of sponge cake or sponge fingers in the bottom of the mould, on top of the decoration, pressing firmly.

Now add a layer of macaroons, then sponge cake/fingers, then macaroons, and repeat until the basin or mould is ¾ full. End with the the spinge fingers or cake. Press well.

Carefully pour in the cool custard and allow it to seep to the bottom of the basin or mould, adding more gradually until the basin or mould is full.

Put a greased piece of paper on top, then tie on a pudding cloth to keep in in place (you can also use a saucer)

Lower the basin into a pan of boiling water, which should come about 2/3 way up the side. Put a lid on the pan and steam for around an hour, keeping the water at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. *(See below for pressure cooking instructions)

Remove from the water when done and turn out. Serve with wine sauce or custard, if wanted – though the pudding should be moist enough on its own.

Notes

You will need a plain pudding bowl or mould for this, to hold 2 UK pints. A pudding basin is ideal, but a charlotte mould also works.

*PRESSURE COOKER COOKING:

12. Pour 1/2 pint (300ml) boiled water to the main bowl of the Ninja Foodi, or to any multi-cooker or pressure cooker you are using.

13. Add the reversable rack into the pressure cooker or Ninja Foodi bowl, then sit the pudding basin on the rack, using the two moveable handles to secure it in place. (If using a traditional pressure cooker, sit the basin on a trivet)

14. Close the lid and turn the pressure release valve to SEAL.Move the programme slider right over to the LEFT to PRESSURE.

15. Set the pressure to HIGH for 60 minutes and press the START button.The machine will beep and naturally release the pressure; you can release it by turning the pressure release valve to VENT if you wish, this is quicker.

16. Carefully remove the pudding from the machine using the racks handles, or the string if used.

17. Remove the paper and foil and invert on to a serving plate. Serve immediately with custard.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8

Serving Size 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 350Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 116mgSodium 44mgCarbohydrates 0gSugar 0gProtein 4g