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Easy Traditional English Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter Sauce

A close-up of a rich, dark slice of plum pudding generously topped with flowing vanilla custard.
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Make this rich, moist, and traditional steamed plum pudding for your holiday gathering. This recipe simplifies the classic English Plum Pudding and includes instructions for a simple Brandy Butter Sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup (120g) shredded suet or cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup (150g) raisins
  • 1 cup (150g) currants
  • 1/2 cup (75g) chopped candied peel
  • 1/2 cup (75g) chopped almonds or walnuts
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) stout or dark beer
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) brandy, plus extra for soaking and serving
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • For the Brandy Butter Sauce: 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dried fruit: In a bowl, combine the raisins, currants, candied peel, and nuts. Pour the brandy over the fruit mixture and let it soak for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
  2. Prepare the pudding basin: Lightly grease a 1.5-quart pudding basin. If you plan to steam it on the stovetop, place a small piece of crumpled foil inside the bottom of the basin to prevent it from sticking.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the brown sugar and shredded suet (or cold butter) to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to rub the fat into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  5. Add the soaked fruit and liquids: Stir in the soaked fruit mixture, the lightly beaten egg, stout (or beer), orange zest, and orange juice. Mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.
  6. Fill the basin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basin. Do not fill more than three-quarters full, as the pudding will expand. Cover the top of the basin tightly with a double layer of parchment paper, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Crimp the edges securely around the rim of the basin. Tie a string around the rim for extra security.
  7. Steam the pudding: Place the basin in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add boiling water to the pot until it reaches halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pot and steam for 4 to 5 hours, checking the water level every hour and adding more boiling water as needed.
  8. Cool and store: Carefully remove the basin from the water. Remove the foil and parchment. Let the pudding cool completely in the basin. Once cool, cover the top with fresh parchment paper and foil, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve (it improves with age).
  9. Reheat the pudding: Before serving, re-steam the pudding for 1 to 2 hours until heated through.
  10. Make the Brandy Butter Sauce: While the pudding reheats, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the 2 tablespoons of brandy until smooth.
  11. Serve: Carefully turn the pudding out onto a serving plate. Pour extra warm brandy over the top and carefully light it if desired. Serve immediately with generous amounts of the Brandy Butter Sauce.

Notes

  • For a make-ahead holiday dessert, you can prepare this pudding up to one month in advance. Storing it allows the flavors to deepen.
  • If you do not have a pudding basin, you can use a heatproof bowl of similar size.
  • If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute the brandy with orange extract and use apple juice instead of stout.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://rosatasty.com/easy-traditional-plum-pudding-recipe/