Plum Pudding Recipe

Plum Pudding Recipe is an old fashioned fruitcake of the eighteenth century made with fruits, nuts, spices and brandy, steamed on top of the stove in a dutch oven. 

These puddings were made to celebrate Christmas.

They originally consisted of beef suet, raisins, currants, prunes, nutmeg, mace, ginger, and among other ingredients evolving from plum porridge, a stew-type dish that was cooked in a pot on top of the stove.

After they were cooled they were wrapped in cheesecloth that had been soaked in brandy, placed in an air-tight container and placed in a dark place for a week or two to mellow.

Many recipes today still call for suet (beef fat).

However, it is hard to find because meats most often arrive at the retail grocer, cut, trimmed, prepackaged, and ready to sell.

This Plum Pudding Recipe uses butter, instead.

Plum Pudding Recipe

1 lb. mixed candied fruits

8 oz. seedless prunes (dried plums), chopped

8 oz. pecans, chopped

4 oz. flaked coconut

1 cup self-rising flour

1 stick butter

1/2 cup molasses

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

Brandy

Dredge fruits and nuts in 1/2 cup of the flour. Set aside.

Cream butter and molasses. Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Stir spices into rest of flour and fold into creamed mixture. Fold in dredged fruits and nuts into mixture.

Spoon into a prepared (greased and floured) tube pan* or heat-proof pudding mold. Place in a large steamer or pan, such as a dutch oven with a rack on the bottom.

Fill the steamer with water up to halfway of the tube pan. Place pan on medium heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low temperature. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and steam for 2 hours or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean.

When done, the cake will start to loosen from around the edges.

Turn off heat and let cake sit about 10 minutes for steam to subside.

Carefully remove lid. Lift tube pan from steamer. Let sit about another 5 minutes and invert pan onto serving plate.

*Prepare pan by greasing bottom and sides. Place a circle of wax paper in bottom of pan. Grease and flour wax paper and sides of pan.

When cake has thoroughly cooled, pour 3-4 tablespoonful of Brandy on top and let it soak into pudding.

Cover or wrap cake with foil and continue to pour Brandy over cake daily for several days or a week for a moist old fashion delight!

If you want me to send you my monthly E-zine containing New Recipes, featuring a Menu Of The Month, Kitchen Tips, and more sign-up below.

It's FREE!

Return to Pudding Recipes


Returnfrom Plum Pudding Recipe to Old Fashioned Recipes