1°C
The inspiration for this month’s recipe comes from the interwoven histories of Winterbourne and the University of Birmingham.
Cabinet Pudding rose to popularity in the 19th century, and we know that it was enjoyed throughout the Victorian era into the 20th century. With steamed puddings popular in student accommodation during the 20th century, there’s a distinct possibility that it might have been on the menu for the women students boarding at Winterbourne in the 1960s.
Ingredients:
Stale sponge cake or bought sponge fingers
¾ pint of milk
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
6-8 ratafia biscuits or amaretti biscuits
1 tbsp caster sugar
A few drops of vanilla essence
A few glacé cherries
A little angelica to ornament the mould
Method:
Butter a mould which has straight sides.
Cut your cherries into halves, and the angelica into small strips. Place these in a decorative pattern on the base of your mould.
Line the sides of the mould with the sponge fingers. Break the remaining sponge fingers into medium-sized chunks, and fill the remainder of the bowl with these as the ratafia biscuits.
Beat the egg yolks and whites together and add them to the sugar along with the vanilla essence and milk. Stir together until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the custard mixture slowly into the mould, so that it fills any gaps and soaks the sponge fingers.
Cover with parchment paper, tightly tying it around the bowl with string to ensure that no water can get in whilst the pudding steams.
Place in a saucepan of boiling water, making sure that the water comes to about halfway up the sides of the mould.
Place a lid on the pan and steam for 1 to 1 ½ hours, keeping an eye on the water level in case you need to replenish.
Once you have left the pudding to rest for a while, run a knife around the edge of the mould and turn out onto a plate.
