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Steamed Marmalade Pudding

By Andrea Geary

Published on December 2, 2024

Time

2¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Steamed Marmalade Pudding

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing measuring cup2⁄3 cup Seville orange marmalade 5¼ ounces (about 3 slices) hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces1⁄2 cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar 1⁄2 cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon table salt 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

Before You Begin

You’ll need a heatproof 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a tall pot with a lid, a rack or steamer basket, and oven mitts for this recipe. We like the assertiveness of marmalade made with Seville or bitter oranges here (see page 29), but if it's unavailable, sweet orange marmalade may be used. We used Arnold Country Style White Bread in this recipe. If using another bread, measure by weight to ensure the proper quantity. Serve warm with Rich Whiskey Custard Sauce, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. If you’re making the custard sauce, prepare it first and save one of the extra egg whites for the pudding.

Instructions

  1. Grease heatproof 4-cup liquid measuring cup with 1 tablespoon butter. Line bottom of cup with parchment paper. Set rack or steamer basket in tall pot and add water until it measures about 2 inches deep. Cover and bring to simmer over medium heat. Place marmalade in medium heatproof bowl and mash with fork to loosen.
  2. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling skillet and stirring constantly with silicone spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer browned butter to bowl with marmalade and whisk until butter is incorporated and marmalade is melted.
  3. Process bread, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in food processor until bread has been reduced to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with marmalade mixture. Add eggs and white and whisk until ingredients are evenly combined.
  4. Transfer mixture to prepared liquid measuring cup. Place 8-inch square of parchment paper on top of measuring cup. Place 10-inch square of aluminum foil on top of parchment and crimp tightly. Secure foil with twine, running twine under handle and spout of measuring cup and tying tightly.
  5. Using oven mitts, place measuring cup on rack. Add hot water, if necessary, to reach halfway up sides of measuring cup. Cover, increase heat, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to maintain gentle boil; cook for 2 hours. Check pot occasionally to ensure that water is boiling and add hot water as needed to maintain water level.
  6. Using oven mitts, transfer measuring cup to wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then uncover. To unmold, slide paring knife around edges of measuring cup. Invert cake stand or plate on top of measuring cup and invert measuring cup and cake stand. When pudding is released, remove measuring cup. Discard parchment. Cut pudding into wedges and serve.

Steamed Marmalade Pudding

Save

Time

2¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing measuring cup
2⁄3 cup Seville orange marmalade
5¼ ounces (about 3 slices) hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1⁄2 cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing measuring cup
2⁄3 cup Seville orange marmalade
5¼ ounces (about 3 slices) hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1⁄2 cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing measuring cup
2⁄3 cup Seville orange marmalade
5¼ ounces (about 3 slices) hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1⁄2 cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a steamed marmalade pudding with a pleasantly open structure and an exceptionally moist crumb, we started with fresh bread that we whizzed in the food processor. Eggs and a small amount of flour helped bind the crumbs into a cohesive whole while browned butter provided richness and, along with dark brown sugar, supported the bitter caramel notes of the Seville orange marmalade. Baking soda reacted instantly with the acid in the marmalade and brown sugar to provide lift, and baking powder provided a more sustained lift. The protein in an extra egg white prevented the generously leavened batter from falling. We were delighted to find that an amply buttered liquid measuring cup worked well as a stand-in for a traditional pudding basin, producing a pudding that was suitably stately and impressive. To steam the pudding, we covered the filled measuring cup with parchment paper and aluminum foil and then set it on a rack in a tall, covered pot of boiling water.

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Before You Begin

You’ll need a heatproof 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a tall pot with a lid, a rack or steamer basket, and oven mitts for this recipe. We like the assertiveness of marmalade made with Seville or bitter oranges here (see page 29), but if it's unavailable, sweet orange marmalade may be used. We used Arnold Country Style White Bread in this recipe. If using another bread, measure by weight to ensure the proper quantity. Serve warm with Rich Whiskey Custard Sauce, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. If you’re making the custard sauce, prepare it first and save one of the extra egg whites for the pudding.

Instructions

  1. Grease heatproof 4-cup liquid measuring cup with 1 tablespoon butter. Line bottom of cup with parchment paper. Set rack or steamer basket in tall pot and add water until it measures about 2 inches deep. Cover and bring to simmer over medium heat. Place marmalade in medium heatproof bowl and mash with fork to loosen.
  2. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling skillet and stirring constantly with silicone spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer browned butter to bowl with marmalade and whisk until butter is incorporated and marmalade is melted.
  3. Process bread, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in food processor until bread has been reduced to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with marmalade mixture. Add eggs and white and whisk until ingredients are evenly combined.
  4. Transfer mixture to prepared liquid measuring cup. Place 8-inch square of parchment paper on top of measuring cup. Place 10-inch square of aluminum foil on top of parchment and crimp tightly. Secure foil with twine, running twine under handle and spout of measuring cup and tying tightly.
  5. Using oven mitts, place measuring cup on rack. Add hot water, if necessary, to reach halfway up sides of measuring cup. Cover, increase heat, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to maintain gentle boil; cook for 2 hours. Check pot occasionally to ensure that water is boiling and add hot water as needed to maintain water level.
  6. Using oven mitts, transfer measuring cup to wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then uncover. To unmold, slide paring knife around edges of measuring cup. Invert cake stand or plate on top of measuring cup and invert measuring cup and cake stand. When pudding is released, remove measuring cup. Discard parchment. Cut pudding into wedges and serve.

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