Tiny Tim’s Plum Pudding

When it comes to special holiday desserts, this plum pudding recipe is one of the best. Packed with the warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, it’s a deeply-spiced dessert that’s perfect for family get togethers or a celebratory meal. The tender, moist pudding is dotted with bits of chewy fruits, like golden raisins, currants and dates, that help offer sweet flavor and complex texture. Shredded carrots add even more sweetness to the comforting dessert that gets topped off with a sweet and tangy homemade hard sauce.

Ingredients for Plum Pudding  

• Butter: Butter is key to adding moisture and rich, savory flavor to any baked good, and this recipe for plum pudding is no different. We cream the butter and brown sugar in this recipe to create a light and fluffy base for the batter.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar has a deeper, more caramelized flavor than standard white sugar, so it’s a great way to add bold sweetness to desserts like this one.
• Eggs: In this plum pudding recipe, eggs act as an essential binding agent that helps hold the batter together. Pudding can be tender and moist, so eggs are a great way to prevent it from being too loose and falling apart.
• Dry bread crumbs: Another key binding component, breadcrumbs combine with the wet ingredients in this plum pudding recipe to help hold it all together. When combined with flour, bread crumbs help give the pudding a lighter texture than you would achieve from using flour alone.
• All-purpose flour: A bit of flour is key to giving this pudding some density and structure. We use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour or bread flour because it produces a chewy texture and sturdy construction.
• Orange zest: Bright, citrusy and acidic, these flecks of fruit skin are a great way to add orange flavor without adding extra liquid to your pudding batter.
• Ground cinnamon: Warm, sweet and slightly woody, ground cinnamon is a great way to add deep, complex flavor to a wide range of desserts, especially this plum pudding recipe.
• Baking soda: Baking soda helps this recipe for plum pudding rise, giving it a light and airy texture rather than a dense, hard structure.
• Ground nutmeg: Much like cinnamon, nutmeg is a warm and inviting spice that helps deepen the flavor of desserts and baked goods. It has a pleasant nuttiness that adds richness and depth of flavor to dishes like this one.
• Ground cloves: The gentle spiciness of cloves gives this plum pudding recipe a deep flavor and a strong, cozy aroma.
• Canned Plums: These sweet and juicy canned fruits are much more convenient than the fresh kind. They also have a more concentrated flavor and chewier texture. Be sure to strain out any excess liquid before incorporating into your pudding mixture.
• Dates: Sugary and sticky, dates are a great way to add natural sweetness to baked goods. They also offer a chewy texture when mixed in with the other ingredients.
• Golden raisins: Golden raisins act as sweet little pops of flavor dotted throughout the pudding in this recipe. Though they have some subtle flavor differences you can substitute dark raisins instead if necessary.
• Carrots: When shredded carrots are incorporated very evenly into flour-based desserts like this one they add sweetness, earthy flavor and bright, beautiful pops of color.
• Currants: Sweet, tart and just a little bit sour, currants taste similar to raisins with just a bit more intensity. When dotted throughout a plum pudding recipe they offer pops of sweetness and bites of tender chewiness throughout.
• Confectioners’ sugar: When it’s time to make the sauce for the pudding confectioners’ sugar combines with butter to create a silky, satiny drizzle that’s super sweet and perfectly tart.
• Dark rum or orange juice: Whether you opt for dark rum or orange juice as a non-alcoholic alternative, these two ingredients can help offset the confectioner’s sugar in the hard sauce and balance out the sweetness.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare your equipment

Generously grease an 8-cup pudding mold, metal gelatin mold or ovenproof bowl and set it aside.

Step 2: Mix the ingredients

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix the bread crumbs, flour, orange zest, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Then gradually add it to the creamed mixture and fold in the plums, dates, raisins, carrots and currants.

Step 3: Transfer to a prepared mold

Transfer the mix to a prepared pudding mold and cover tightly with heavy-duty foil.  Then tie foil with a kitchen string to secure it.

Step 4: Steam the pudding

Place the pudding mold on a rack in a stockpot and add 3 inches of hot water to the pot. Bring water to a gentle boil and steam the cake, covered, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This takes about two to 2-1/2 hours. Add more water to the pot as needed. Remove the pudding from the pot and let it stand for five minutes before unmolding.

Step 5: Prepare the sauce and serve

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the hard sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Un-mold the pudding onto a serving plate and serve warm with sauce.

Plum Pudding Recipe Variations

• Skip the sauce: Though we serve our plum pudding recipe with a homemade hard sauce, you could absolutely forego the sauce if you’re short on time. If you’re looking for a shortcut, try serving this with store-bought vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or clotted cream instead.
• Explore dried fruits: One of the best parts of any plum pudding recipe is the sweet and chewy fruits scattered throughout. If you’re looking to switch the recipe up a bit try adding different dried fruits to offer a range of flavor profiles. Dried apricots, cherries and cranberries would all be delicious in this recipe.

How to Store Plum Pudding

Any leftover plum pudding should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil before storing it in the refrigerator. For the best results, try placing a fresh piece of parchment paper over the top of the plum pudding and wrapping it tightly in foil. The plum pudding can then be stored in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Can you make plum pudding ahead of time?

Plum pudding stores really well so you can make it in advance. If you’re going to make plum pudding ahead of time, be sure to wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. Once you’re ready to serve it you can reheat the pudding in the oven or steam it until warmed.

Plum Pudding Tips

Can I make this plum pudding recipe in a slow cooker?

You can make this recipe for plum pudding in a slow cooker. Put the covered pudding mold into the slow cooker and pour water around the sides until it comes about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the mold. Steam it for about four hours or until the pudding is cooked all the way through.

How can you prevent plum pudding from getting soggy?

It’s important to make sure that the water in your pot isn’t boiling too hard. If it does the water could splash up and get into the pudding mold, making for a soggy pudding. Make sure that the pot of water is simmering or gently boiling. A gentle simmer will allow steam to rise but won’t cause any water to splash into your mold and create a soggy pudding.

How can I tell that my plum pudding is cooked thoroughly?

Much like you would with cakes, inserting a skewer or cake tester into the center of the pudding is the best way to test its doneness. If the skewer comes out clean without residue it’s a good indication that the pudding is cooked all the way through.