Cherry Pudding, Boiled or Steamed

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sweet milk
• sifted flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• cherries

Method

Whisk the eggs until they're pale and thick — this incorporates air and stabilises the crumb structure when the batter sets. Fold in the milk slowly to avoid deflating what you've just built. The mixture should be thick enough that flour folded through doesn't disappear; if it's too slack, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it becomes a stiff batter that barely flows from a spoon. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, then fold these in gently in two additions — overworking develops gluten, which toughens the pudding. Add the cherries last, pressing them through the batter so they're distributed evenly and partially submerged; this prevents them sinking to the basin floor and also means the fruit releases its juice into the crumb as it cooks.

Grease your pudding basin thoroughly with butter and pour the batter in — it should fill the basin about two-thirds full, leaving room for the pudding to rise and expand during steaming or boiling. This is crucial; too much batter and it will burst. Boiling for one hour is the traditional method and produces a denser, more compact pudding because the direct heat causes the batter to set faster and trap less steam. Steaming takes the same hour but yields a lighter result — the gentler, encircling heat means the structure rises more evenly and holds more air. Choose based on what you want: boiling for richness, steaming for delicacy.

Cover the basin with a buttered circle of greaseproof paper, then tie a cloth over the top — this keeps condensation out of the pudding itself, which would make it soggy. Place the basin on a trivet or crumpled foil in a large pot. For boiling, pour water to come halfway up the sides and maintain a steady simmer; top up every 20 minutes or so. For steaming, use a steamer pot or a makeshift setup with the same water level and a gentle, consistent steam.

When the pudding is set — a skewer inserted into the centre comes away with no wet batter clinging to it — turn it out onto a warm plate. The cherries have stained the cake a pale pink and burst slightly, their tart juice having bled into the sponge. Serve immediately with custard, a sharp cherry sauce, or warm lemon sauce to cut the pudding's richness.