Broken sponge fingers, crisp amaretti and candied cherries and peel packed into a decorated mold, soaked in vanilla custard and steamed until just set. Turned out, it is a tender, trembling dome studded with jewel-red cherries, served with a warm apricot sauce. Makes 6 servings in about 3 hr.
Prep25 min
Cook75 min
Cooling20 min
Total
3 hr
Servings
6
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 tbsp (15 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the mold
2 oz (60 g)glacé cherries, rinsed, dried and halved
Brush the mold thickly with the unsalted butter. Press about half of the glacé cherries, cut side out, onto the base and sides in a neat pattern. Cut a circle of buttered parchment for the top and a 12-inch (30 cm) square of foil with a pleat folded in the middle.
Put an upturned saucer in a large, deep pot with enough water to come halfway up the mold and bring it to a bare simmer.
Chop the rest of the glacé cherries. Fill the mold loosely with layers of ladyfingers, amaretti cookies, chopped cherries and candied citron peel, without packing them down; the sponge swells as it soaks.
Heat the whole milk and heavy cream in a saucepan until steaming, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture.
Strain the custard slowly over the sponge layers until it reaches about 1/2 inch (1 cm) below the rim. Leave to soak for 15 minutes, gently pressing the sponge down once or twice.
Top with the parchment circle, cover with the pleated foil and tie tightly under the rim with string. Lower onto the saucer, cover the pot and steam over very low heat, with the water barely bubbling, until the pudding is risen and set and a knife pushed into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes; the center should read 160°F (71°C).
While the pudding steams, simmer the apricot jam, water and lemon juice in a small pan, stirring, until smooth and syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes; strain if you like and keep warm.
Lift out the mold and let it stand 5 minutes so it firms up. Run a thin knife around the edge, turn out onto a warm plate and serve with the warm apricot sauce.
Tips
Keep the water at a gentle simmer; hard boiling makes the custard full of holes and watery.
Do not overfill the mold with sponge; a loose layer leaves room for the custard and gives a smooth set.
Use crisp amaretti or ratafias for the authentic almond note.
Steam until the custard in the center reaches 160°F (71°C), and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 1 hour 15 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 20 minutes to rise and rest. The recipe makes 6 servings.
How should I store cabinet pudding?
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat gently in the microwave; keep the sauce separately in the refrigerator.
Can I make cabinet pudding ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
An English molded pudding of the early 1800s, also called chancellor's pudding, made by layering sponge cake, ratafias or macaroons and candied fruit in a buttered mold, filling it with custard and steaming it gently. Serve it with earl Grey tea.
Variations
Individual dessert cups: decorate and fill six 6-oz (175 ml) buttered ramekins, cover each with buttered foil and steam gently for 30 to 35 minutes.
Orange-zest version: whisk 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest into the custard and use candied orange peel in place of the citron; steaming time unchanged.
Baked cabinet pudding: set the covered mold in a roasting pan of hot water and bake at 325°F (165°C) for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
Sherry sauce: replace the apricot sauce with 1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet sherry simmered with 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar and 2 tbsp (30 g) butter for 2 minutes.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.
464Calories / serving
27.1gFat
46.7gCarbs
9.1gProtein
34.1gSugar
Whole recipe (6 servings):
~2784 cal ·
163g fat ·
280g carbs ·
55g protein ·
205g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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