Easy Mary Berrys Eve’s Pudding – Baked Apples Recipe

This baked apple Eve’s pudding recipe is perfect! It is simple to follow and only requires a few ingredients. Best of all, it tastes delicious! So grab your aprons, and let’s get cooking!

What is Eve’s pudding?

Eve’s pudding is a traditional English dessert that is perfect for apple season. It is made with sliced apples and a light sponge cake topping, and it can be served with custard or cream. Eve’s pudding is believed to date back to the 17th century, and it gets its name from the Eve apples that were commonly used in the dish. While Eve’s pudding is typically made with baking apples, any type of apple can be used. So, whether you’re looking for a way to use up some extra baking apples or you simply want a delicious dessert, Eve’s pudding is a perfect choice.

Eating or cooking apples for Eve’s pudding?

Traditionally, this dessert is typically made with Eve’s eating apples. However, you can really use any type of apple that you like. More info at the bottom of this post. I had a lot of baking apples to use up, so that’s what I used in this recipe. You may also like Dorset Apple Cake, another way to use up your apples!

Ingredients

Eve’s pudding is a delicious dessert that is perfect for any occasion. The pudding is made with a variety of different ingredients. This is what you need:

• 500 g Cooking Apples – peeled and sliced or cubed
• 90 g Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 Lemon (Zest and juice)

Sponge Topping

• 125 g Baking Spread
• 125 g Caster Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 125 g Self-Rasing Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder

How to make Eve’s pudding

This is a very simple recipe and quick to put together (which I like!) The apples can be sliced or roughly cut into cubes, as I have done. I used an apple corer to make the process easier. Use your discarded apple peel and cores to make apple jelly!

Variations

Spiced Eve’s Pudding

As an alternative, you can have a spiced Eve’s pudding. Add 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon to the sponge topping, and for the apple mixture, add 60g of raisins, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice.

If you love hot puddings, try my Sticky Toffee Pudding, Pineapple Upside-Down Pudding or Apple Amber. It’s so good!

A Nostalgic Twist on Mother Eve’s Pudding

The story of Eve and the forbidden fruit, often depicted as an apple, has inspired a multitude of apple recipes over the centuries. Among these, Mother Eve’s Pudding—a traditional British dessert—has stood the test of time, delighting the whole family with its warm and comforting embrace, especially during the winter months. This classic British pudding, which dates back to the 17/19th century, is a delightful combination of stewed apples and a fluffy sponge, often served with lashings of custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The apple layer, reminiscent of the biblical Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden, is created with tart Bramley apples or Granny Smith apples, which are peeled, chopped, and stewed with a little sugar and lemon juice until they reach a soft apple filling consistency. For those in the United States, these traditional British puddings might evoke memories of old-fashioned puddings like apple crumble and apple pie. The key is to use the right type of apples—Bramley cooking apples are a traditional ingredient, but other varieties like Golden Delicious or Pink Lady can also yield excellent results.

Crafting the Perfect Apple Sponge Pudding

To achieve the golden brown crown that sits atop the apple pudding, one must prepare a simple sponge batter. This begins in a large mixing bowl, where sponge ingredients such as self-raising flour or plain flour, caster sugar or granulated sugar, a little baking spread or butter, and ground almonds (which are optional) are combined with a wooden spoon until just mixed. For the best results, all ingredients should be at room temperature before they’re blended together to form the cake batter. The addition of vanilla extract is optional for infusing the sponge with a rich, aromatic flavour that perfectly complements the apple filling.

Once your Bramley apples have been peeled and chopped into small pieces, transfer them to a buttered ovenproof dish. Next, gently pour the sponge mixture over the stewed apples, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or spatula. For a delightful crunch, sprinkle flaked almonds across the top before baking. The pudding is then baked in a preheated oven at the appropriate gas mark until the sponge turns a delicious golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To serve, cut generous portions of the warm apple sponge pudding and pair with a dollop of crème fraiche, a drizzle of warm custard, or for a more indulgent