Steamed puddings are more work then baking a cake or making a self-saucing pudding, but when it emerges from the basin and you taste the first spoonful, it's worth the extra effort. I like using blood orange marmalade - as the flavour is quite distinct, with a perfumed, raspberry-like note.
150g softened butter, plus a little for buttering basin
140g brown sugar
3 eggs
100g self-raising flour
150g rye flour
1 tbsp baking powder
380g blood orange marmalade (or use any quality marmalade)
220ml milk
Custard, to serve
Butter a 2-litre pudding basin and set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until sugar has dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in flours and baking powder then marmalade and milk, and spoon the mix into the prepared pudding basin.
Smooth the top of the mix, cover closely with a round of buttered baking paper, seal with foil and secure it tightly with string or a lid. Place in a large saucepan, add hot water to three-quarters of the way up the pudding basin, cover saucepan with a lid and steam until a skewer comes out clean, about 1 ½ hours. Top saucepan up with extra boiling water if necessary.
Remove basin carefully from the pot and rest for 10 minutes. Invert pudding onto a serving plate and serve hot with thick custard.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up