Saucy baked orange pudding

A baked orange pudding is a tangy, traditional, and highly addictive affair. This recipe ticks all the boxes: it is zesty, has been handed down the generations, and has been proved to impress friends and colleagues alike. It is sticky too, on account of being baked in its own sauce.

Ingredients

Sauce

  • ½ cup (125 ml) sugar
  • ½ cup (125 ml) water
  • ¾ cup 180 ml) orange juice
  • rounded teaspoon butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange zest
  • 3 or 4 pods cardamon (optional)

Batter

  • ½ cup (125 ml) sugar
  • ¼ cup (55 g) butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apricot jam
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange zest
  • pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup (190 ml) flour
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) bicarbonate of soda

Method

Sauce

  1. Melt sugar, water, orange juice, butter, and salt together over a low heat.
  2. Add the cardamon (if you're using it), and keep the sauce warm.

Batter

  1. Melt the butter slightly.
  2. Beat the egg and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the butter, jam, salt, and orange zest.
  4. Sift the flour into the mixture.
  5. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk, and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Pudding

  1. Place the hot syrup in an oven-proof dish.
  2. Spoon the batter into the dish.
  3. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes.

Serve hot, with whipped cream or ice-cream.