Caramel Apple Steamed Pudding Recipe

Prep Time:

40 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

10

Our steamed pudding recipe is a caramel-topped, apple-forward take on the traditional British dessert that’s typically made in the fall and winter and often served around Christmas. It features a gorgeous apple topping, sticky caramel, and a moist interior made with a homemade spiced applesauce. To make it, you’ll need a two-quart pudding mold with a tight-fitting lid, which you can look for at specialty cookware stores or locate online. The pudding cooks gently in a pot of simmering water, which allows the batter to steam gently until cooked through. After a quick rest, it’s inverted onto a plate and ready to serve, showing off a glistening topping and golden exterior.

All About Steamed Puddings

Steamed puddings have featured prominently in British cuisine for centuries. They are said to have originated in medieval Engand and have evolved over time in terms of taste, texture, and ingredients, but they almost always include fresh or dried fruit and warm spices like cinnamon and clove. These steamed puddings were traditionally made in floured cloth, which would be tied around the batter and secured with string. These days, it's more common to make them using a lidded mold or pudding boel, which is still cooked the classic way in a pot of boiling water.

Making the Caramel for the Pudding

The first thing you'll do when making this recipe is prepare the caramel sauce, which is made with just water and sugar and coats the inside of the mold. The key to a successful caramel is to let it cook gently over moderate heat, swirling it as needed but not stirring, which can encourage the sugar to crystalize. You may be tempted to increase the heat to speed up the process, but this can cause the caramel to burn and quickly take on a bitter, acrid flavor. Instead, give it time to do gently caramelize into a deep amber color, then immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the mold.

Directions

Combine caramel ingredients; cook:

TCombine sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan; set over medium heat. Cover, and cook until sugar has melted.
Continue cooking, swirling, until deep amber:

Remove cover, and continue cooking, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar turns a deep amber. Carefully pour caramel into pudding mold; tip so caramel coats mold evenly. Set mold aside.
Combine applesauce ingredients; cook, covered:

Peel and core apples and cut into chunks. Place in a small saucepan along with water, sugar, and spices. Cook, covered, over low heat until apples fall apart, 10 to 12 minutes.
Uncover and continue to cook:

Uncover, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often. Set the applesauce aside.
Make apple topping:

Peel and core apples and cut into 1-inch chunks. Melt butter in a small sauté pan and add apples and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until apples turn brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes.
Arrange apples in mold:

Place apples in the bottom of the caramel-lined mold, distributing evenly so they reach up the sides.
Prepare pot and fill with water:

Choose a pot large enough to hold the pudding mold with a 2-inch space all around. Place a wire rack or a folded kitchen towel in the bottom of pot; fill with enough water to reach halfway up sides of mold.
Bring to a boil, then let simmer:

Cover pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
Combine wet ingredients for pudding batter:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and molasses; mix well. Add the reserved applesauce, and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients; add to batter:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in breadcrumbs. Add to the applesauce mixture. Stir batter until just combined.
Fill mold, add to pot, and cook:

Fill pudding mold with batter; clamp on lid. Place mold in a pot of simmering water. Cover pot, and cook until a toothpick inserted into middle of pudding comes out clean, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Check water often, keeping it at a steady, low simmer.
Remove from pot and let cool:

Transfer mold to a wire rack to cool, 15 minutes.
Invert pudding and serve:

When ready to serve, invert the pudding onto a serving plate. If any of the apple chunks stick to the mold, remove them, and rearrange them on the top; slice and serve.