Bakewell Tart Steamed Pudding
During Pudding Week in Series 8 of The Great British Baking Show, Stacey Hart transformed the beloved British Bakewell tart into a steamed pudding, practicing the recipe an extraordinary 17 times before presenting it in the tent. Her dedication paid off—Paul Hollywood was so impressed by the light, moist texture and harmonious flavors that he awarded her one of his prized handshakes. Stacey's innovative approach combined the classic almond sponge and cherry jam of a Bakewell tart with the comforting warmth of a traditional English steamed pudding, creating something both familiar and entirely new. Chef's Notes: Addressing Judge Feedback Paul Hollywood's Handshake Criteria: Paul awards handshakes for exceptional technique. Stacey's pudding earned his praise for being light, moist, and properly cooked throughout — avoiding the dreaded "stodgy bottom" he warned about. Prue Leith on Texture: While Prue noted Stacey's sponge could have been "the lightest," she found it "delicious." To maxi…
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- MAKE THE CHERRY JAM
- Place halved, pitted cherries in a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon juic
- Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, fo
- Transfer jam to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. The jam
- PREPARE YOUR STEAMING SETUP
- Place an upturned small saucer or trivet in the bottom of a large, deep pot. Fil
- Generously grease the inside of your 1-quart pudding basin with softened butter,
- Spoon 3 tablespoons of the cooled cherry jam into the bottom of the greased basi
- If you don't have a snap-on lid, cut a 10-inch disc each of parchment paper and
- MAKE THE ALMOND SPONGE
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar with an e
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating
- Using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently fold in half of the sifted flour un
- Gently fold in the almond flour until evenly distributed. Do not overmix—stop as
- Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared pudding basin over the cherry jam.
- STEAM THE PUDDING
- If using a snap-on lid, secure it firmly. If using parchment and foil, place the
- Carefully lower the basin onto the saucer in the simmering pot. The water should
- Steam for 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes and topping up with boiling water a
- MAKE THE VANILLA CUSTARD
- Pour the cream into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds fr
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar until s
- Remove vanilla pod from cream. Very slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixtu
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly w
- Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed serving jug. Keep warm by p
- UNMOLD AND SERVE
- When the 2 hours are complete, carefully remove the basin from the pot. Remove t
- Run a thin palette knife or butter knife around the edge of the pudding to relea
- Arrange fresh raspberries around the base of the pudding and scatter toasted sli