Our lemon and honey pudding is easy to make and could be cooked in advance if you want to get ahead.
For a sweet twist on lemon pudding, this recipe is perfect. It has six ingredients, many of which you probably already have in the cupboard or fridge. Although it takes a little time to steam, you can do this ahead of time and then simply reheat in the microwave before serving.
Ingredients
- 175g (6oz) butter, at room temperature
- 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 175g (6oz) self-raising flour, sieved
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbs set honey
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Grease a 1 litre pudding basin generously with butter. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and cream together with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
- Gradually whisk in the eggs, then fold in the flour and add the lemon zest and juice.
- Spoon the honey into the pudding basin and tilt so it goes up the sides a little. Carefully add the pudding mixture.
- Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and then foil, both with a pleat in them to allow for the pudding to rise. Secure with string. Place onto a trivet inside a large saucepan. Fill with water until it reaches two-thirds up the side of the pudding basin. Steam for 1 hour and 30 minutes, topping up the water in the pan, as needed.
- Leave for 5-10 minutes. Remove the foil and paper, put a plate on the top and turn the bowl upside down to serve the pudding. Decorate with a few slices of lemon and spoon on more honey, if you like.
Top tips for making lemon and honey pudding
This recipe is cooked in the same way you cook a Christmas pudding. If you’ve never cooked a pudding this way before, read our step-by-step guide on how to steam a pudding. For more tips and tricks that will help when making this lemon and honey pudding, continue reading below.
How do you make lemon and honey pudding in the microwave?
Make sure your pudding basin is suitable for microwaving. Instead of covering the pudding, leave it uncovered. Cook on high for six minutes then leave to stand for 10 minutes. It will continue cooking in the residual heat of the basin. If you have steamed the pudding, you can use the microwave to reheat leftovers. Place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm. Pierce a few holes in then cook on high for a minute or two until hot.
How do you turn a lemon and honey pudding out?
It’s important to let the pudding stand once it has finished steaming so the pudding basin cools a little. If it’s stil very hot you may want to use a towel to hold it while you place a plate on the bottom. If you’ve greased the basin well enough the pudding should just fall out with the help of gravity! If it looks very stuck you can always run a palette knife around the inside but be careful you don’t damage the sides of the pudding.
What should I serve with lemon and honey pudding?
While it’s delicious on it’s own, food writer Jessica Ransom says: ‘I believe there’s nothing a generous drizzle of double cream can’t improve. It would make a delicious match to this light steamed pudding.’ Alternatively you could serve with some light vanilla custard or a scoop of ice cream. If you want a fancier decoration, consider topping the pudding with some pieces of natural honeycomb. Jessica recommends this natural honeycomb from Cartwright and Butler.
For this recipe you need a pudding basin. If you don’t have one we like this simple example from Mason Cash.
If you want more lemon bakes, you must try Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake. It’s delicious with a cup of tea and is perfect for sharing with friends. This lemon cake pudding is another great dessert option. Alternatively, this lemon pound cake is a great in-between that looks impressive enough for dessert but could also be served as an afternoon snack.