Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding

Eve’s Pudding is a timeless British dessert made with softly stewed apples topped with a light, fluffy sponge. This version stays true to the comforting style associated with Delia Smith, offering a gentle sweetness, moist texture, and golden finish. It is straightforward to make, even for beginners, and comes together with everyday ingredients. From start to finish, you can have this classic pudding ready in just under an hour.

Ingredients

For the Apple Base

• 750g cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water

For the Sponge Topping

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 190°C or 170°C fan. Lightly butter a shallow ovenproof dish about 1.5 litres in size and set it aside.
• Cook the apples: Place the sliced apples, caster sugar, lemon juice, and water into a saucepan. Cover and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the apples are just soft but still holding their shape.
• Assemble the base: Spoon the warm apples evenly into the prepared dish, spreading them out to form an even layer.
• Make the sponge: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour: Gently fold in the self-raising flour until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
• Top the apples: Spoon the sponge mixture over the apples and spread it carefully to cover the surface.
• Bake: Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the sponge is well risen, golden, and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Cool slightly: Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Eve’s Pudding

How do I stop the sponge sinking into the apples?

Make sure the apples are not too watery and spoon the sponge gently over them rather than stirring.

Which apples work best?

Cooking apples such as Bramleys give the best balance of sharpness and softness.

Can I make it less sweet?

You can reduce the sugar in the apples slightly if you prefer a more tart pudding.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with custard
• Pair with pouring cream
• Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Storage

Room Temperature

Best eaten fresh, but it can stand covered for up to 12 hours.

Refrigerator

Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently before serving.

Freezing

Freeze once cooled for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight and reheat thoroughly.

Nutrition

• Calories: 320 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Sodium: 120mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary.

FAQs

Delia Smith Eve’s Pudding

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A classic British apple pudding with softly stewed apples and a light vanilla sponge topping.

Ingredients

• 750g cooking apples, peeled and sliced

• 75g caster sugar

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 100g unsalted butter, softened

• 100g caster sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 100g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven and grease an ovenproof dish.
• Cook apples gently until just soft.
• Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla.
• Fold in flour and spoon over apples.
• Bake until golden and risen.

Notes

• Serve warm for best flavour.
• Do not overcook the apples.
• Best eaten the same day.