Canary Lemon Sponge Puddings with Lemon Curd Cream

25 minutes

Serves 6-8. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see questions Lindsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from Delia's Complete How to Cook.

Canary pudding is an old English steamed sponge pudding with jam.

I have, of course, because our football team is called the Canaries adapted it to a very lemony version so as to add a little canary colour. It's very popular at the restaurant in the club.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to zest and juice citrus fruits in our video. Press the recipe image to play.

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Canary Sponges in the oven!

Asked by: Delta

Hi Lindsay Re: CANARY LEMON SPONGE PUDDINGS WITH LEMON CURD CREAM Can I steam these pudding in the oven by placing them in a tray of water ? If so what temperature and for how long ? Many thanks Jane

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, I haven’t tested this, but I’d say 45 minutes at 180C. Individually covered and about 3cm of boiling water in the roasting tin. Kind regards Lindsey

About the lemon curd in the Canary Lemon Curd Sponge recipe

Asked by: samokhin

Hello, Lindsey. The question is about CANARY LEMON SPONGE PUDDINGS WITH LEMON CURD CREAM. Please, be kind to clear up the exact recipe with quantities for the lemon sauce. How much lemon curd should be left? Is it correct to add 150 ml water together with 150 ml double cream? Thank you. All the Best, Pavel

Answered by Lindsey: Hi Pavel, I do not have the exact measurements because it depends on how generous you are with the amount of curd on each dessertspoon when it’s spooned into the base of the pudding basins. However, I think it will be about 300ml and then that gets mixed with 150ml of water and 150ml of cream. Best wishes Lindsey

Method

First of all make the lemon curd.

What you need to do is place the grated lemon zest and sugar in a bowl and then in another bowl whisk the lemon juice together with the eggs and then pour this mixture over the sugar. Now add the butter cut into little pieces, and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. You need to keep stirring frequently until thickened, which will take roughly 20 minutes. If you want to make this ahead, you can store it in a clean dry jar with a screw-top lid, but it is best eaten within a week.

Now for the puddings. First of all butter the basins well and place a piece of buttered silicone paper in the bottom of each basin. Then take a large mixing bowl and sift the flour and baking powder into it, holding the sieve high to give the flour a good airing, add the softened butter, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice.

Then, using an electric hand whisk, beat the mixture for about 2 minutes until it is thoroughly blended. After that, fill the bottom of each basin with 1 dessertspoon of lemon curd and then follow this with the sponge mixture, dividing it equally between the eight pudding basins. Level the tops, then place a piece of foil over each one, making a pleat in the centre.

Now place the puddings in a steamer fitted over a saucepan of boiling water and steam them for about 25 minutes or until the centre springs back when pressed. While the puddings are cooking you can make the lemon sauce. All you do is place the remaining lemon curd in a saucepan. Add 5 fl oz (150 ml) hot water and the double cream and then heat very gently, stirring all the time until hot but not bubbling. When the puddings are cooked turn them out on to warmed serving plates and hand the sauce round separately.