Apple pudding

Serves - 6 to 8

You’ll need

• 4 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt

To serve, optional
• Custard
• Double cream
• Vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Get the apples ready

Heat the oven to 180°C fan. Butter a medium baking dish well. Put the sliced apples into a bowl with the lemon juice, 2 tbsp caster sugar and half the cinnamon, then toss everything together. Tip them into the bottom of the dish and spread them out evenly.

2. Make the sponge batter

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 150g caster sugar together until pale and a little fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If it looks as though it might curdle slightly, do not panic – it usually sorts itself out once the flour goes in.

3. Add the dry ingredients

Mix the self-raising flour, baking powder, the remaining cinnamon and the pinch of salt together, then fold them into the butter mixture. Add the milk and vanilla extract and stir until you have a smooth, soft batter. It should drop easily from a spoon rather than sit there looking stubborn.

4. Top the apples

Spoon the batter over the apples and spread it gently to cover them as evenly as you can. It does not need to be perfect – it will sort itself out in the oven.

5. Bake

Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is golden, risen and springy to the touch. A skewer inserted into the sponge should come out clean. The apples underneath should be soft and bubbling away nicely.

6. Let it settle

Leave the pudding to sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. This gives the apples and sponge a moment to settle and stops everyone burning their mouths in a rush.

7. Serve

Serve warm in generous spoonfuls with custard, cream or vanilla ice cream alongside. This is not really the sort of pudding that benefits from restraint.

A couple of helpful notes

- Bramley apples will give you a softer, sharper fruit layer, while sweeter eating apples hold their shape a little better. Either works nicely depending on what sort of pudding you are after.
- A handful of raisins or a little orange zest stirred through the apples would not go amiss if you want to nudge it in a slightly different direction.
- This is very good reheated the next day, though it is usually under fairly serious threat before then.