Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Walnut Sponge
- 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 115 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 115 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking powder
- 100 g walnuts, toasted
- 30 ml whole milk
- 15 ml brandy
- 3 g orange zest
Vanilla-Orange Anglaise
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 100 ml whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 40 g granulated sugar
- ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 3 g orange zest, strips
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 579 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 28 g
- Sodium
- 119 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Cholesterol
- 241 mg
- Potassium
- 189 mg
- Calcium
- 128 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 38 mg
- Phosphorus
- 203 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 310 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.26 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 46 mcg
- Water
- 58 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the pudding basin by greasing it generously with butter. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the basin and another larger circle to cover the top. Fold a pleat into the center of the top circle (to allow for expansion).
Pulse the toasted walnuts in a food processor until finely ground, resembling the texture of almond meal. Be careful not to process too long or they will turn into butter.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with each egg to prevent curdling.
Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder, ground walnuts, and orange zest. Gently stir in the milk and brandy until the batter reaches a dropping consistency.
Spoon the batter into the prepared basin. Cover with the pleated parchment circle (butter side down), then cover with foil (also pleated). Secure tightly with kitchen twine under the rim of the basin.
Place the basin in a large stockpot. Pour boiling water into the pot until it reaches halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pot and steam on a low simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check water level occasionally, topping up if necessary.
While the pudding steams, prepare the sauce. Combine cream, milk, vanilla bean (seeds and pod), and orange zest strips in a saucepan. Heat gently until just beginning to simmer, then remove from heat and let infuse for 20 minutes.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Remove zest strips and vanilla pod from the dairy mixture. Slowly pour the warm dairy into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper.
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (nappe) or reaches 82°C (180°F). Do not boil. Strain through a fine mesh sieve immediately.
Carefully remove the pudding from the steamer. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the string, remove foil and paper, and invert onto a warmed serving plate. Serve immediately with the warm sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Toasting the walnuts before grinding releases their natural oils and deepens the flavor profile significantly.
- If you do not have a pudding basin, a heatproof glass mixing bowl of similar volume works perfectly well.
- The pleat in the parchment paper and foil is crucial; it allows the pudding to expand as it cooks without breaking the seal.
- For a lighter sauce, you can replace the heavy cream with whole milk entirely, though the texture will be less velvety.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pudding and sauce in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze pudding only; sauce does not freeze well due to emulsion structure.
Reheating: Reheat pudding by steaming for 20 minutes or microwaving gently. Gently warm sauce over a water bath, do not boil.
Troubleshooting
Pudding is heavy or dense
Cause: Over-mixing the flour or insufficient aeration during creaming
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but serving with extra sauce helps mask the texture
Prevention: Fold dry ingredients gently and ensure butter/sugar are creamed until very pale
Sauce curdled (scrambled eggs)
Cause: Heat was too high or mixture boiled
Fix: Immediately strain and blend with an immersion blender to emulsify
Prevention: Keep heat low and use a thermometer to stay under 82°C
Water entered the pudding basin
Cause: Foil/parchment seal was not tight enough
Fix: Trim off soggy parts if cosmetic, otherwise unfixable
Prevention: Tie string very tightly under the rim and ensure foil overhangs significantly
Cultural Context
Steamed puddings are a cornerstone of British culinary history, dating back to medieval times when boiling in a cloth was the primary method of cooking desserts. This recipe refines the rustic 'suet pudding' tradition by using butter for a lighter sponge, incorporating walnuts and brandy for a festive, winter warming profile often associated with Christmas or Sunday roast dinners.
