Eve’s Pudding (a Traditional British Apple Dessert)
Eve’s Pudding is a traditional British apple dessert which entails a cake-like topping on baked apples. Served with custard, it’s another brilliant “keeper” of a recipe
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Eve’s pudding probably isn’t a dessert you’re familiar with if you live in the United States.
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Well, I’m planning to change that. I’d like to introduce you to one of Britain’s best dessert recipes. And let me bring up the elephant in the room when discussing a “really good British recipe.” At one time or another, you’ve probably heard someone talking about stereotypically “bad British food”, right?
The UK knows how to do breakfast right! Get the recipe for a Scottish breakfast sausage (Lorne sausage).
There is good and bad cuisine in all parts of the world.
First of all, I cannot tell you how much this upsets me. I almost get as angry as when someone posts a horrific pasta sauce recipe and claims it’s the “best-ever” or that it is an “authentic Italian recipe ” (you can read my tirade here).
One of my main goals in writing on this site is to enlighten the American public, and the rest of the world, that British cuisine and baking is some of the best in the world. (Updated Nov. 2023: I wrote this before the Great British Bake Off was a “thing” and Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry were famous in the USA, so clearly, they’ve helped in my endeavour!)
Delicious hot cross buns are so easy to make!
If you think I’m joking, I am not. I’d hazard a guess that many of those who bash British food have never even stepped foot on UK soil! I have caught some of those people myself, and boy, do they get an earful. For example, have you ever tried Eve’s pudding? It’s a delightfully light and tasty apple dessert which is a traditional British concoction.
What is Eve’s Pudding?
I would guess that Eve’s pudding may actually be the inspiration for American apple cobbler, as the earliest known version of Eve’s pudding is dated back to 1823. Some American cobblers have the fruit on top of the pastry, but Eve’s pudding has the pastry on top which means no soggy bottom!
Try my peach cobbler recipe, too! Make it with fresh, frozen or canned peaches all year long!
Topping it off with hot custard is almost a requirement, as it would be like wine without cheese (okay, that’s a bad example). How about: it would be like Batman without Robin, if you didn’t pour some lovely custard on top!
Eve’s pudding takes almost no time to make, so I hope you’ll try this recipe and come back to let me know what you think of this traditional British recipe. Cheers!
Eve’s Pudding
(a Traditional British Apple Dessert)
slightly adapted from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Cookery and Household Management Serves 6
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- Granny Smith or your choice of cooking apples
- grated rind and juice of lemon
- sugar
- butter
- egg
- all-purpose/plain flour
- baking powder
Recipe for homemade custard or you can use Bird’s Custard Powder
Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
Make the Filling for Eve’s Pudding
Butter the inside of a pie dish, or similar sized baking dish. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl so that they are evenly mixed.
Next, place the sliced apples in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Put the apples into the greased pie dish and set aside.
Make the Topping
Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
Next, gently fold in the flour and baking powder, until well combined, without overmixing.
Spread the mixture evenly over the apples.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the sponge is firm and golden brown.
Enjoy with custard, preferably, or fresh cream.
Most Brits use Bird’s custard which is an egg-free powder which became popular during the war. However, you can make your own homemade custard, which is an incredibly delicious dessert on its own.
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Eve's Pudding (a Traditional British Apple Dessert)
Ingredients
Filling:
- 16 oz Granny Smith apples (or your choice of cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed, preferably organic)
- ½ tsp grated lemon rind (preferably organic)
- ¼ cup sugar (more or less to taste)
Topping:
- ⅓ c sugar
- 6 Tbsp butter (at room temperature)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 c all-purpose flour (less 2 Tbsp)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
- Butter the inside of a pie dish, or similar sized baking dish.
- Place the sliced apples in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and sugar, and toss to mix evenly. Put the apples into the greased pie dish and set aside.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl so that they are evenly mixed.
- Cream the sugar and butter (for the topping) until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg.
- Gently fold in the flour and baking powder, until well combined, without over mixing.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the apples. It's fine if it doesn't cover all the fruit, and it will be more like a thick mixture than a runny batter.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the sponge is firm and golden brown.
- Enjoy with custard, preferably, or fresh cream.
Notes
- Granny Smith apples are best for this (if in the US)
- If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the flour.
Nutrition
Eve’s pudding makes reference to the apple in this dish (Adam and Eve), so I don’t know what I’d call this dessert, but I have made it with a combination of apples, plums and peaches, too! Try it with your favorite pie fruits, like cherry, rhubarb or blueberry.
Delicious!!
Other simple apple recipes~
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This is quite pleasingly different from apple crumble! Partly due to the affect the lemon in the apple mix has. It is also distinct from apple cakes, as they are more dense due to the moistening of apples in their mix.
Can I use apple pie filling / can?
You absolutely can, Mandy, but just know that it will taste nothing like the proper Eve’s Pudding. I strongly recommend using apples and making it as the recipe is written the first time so you can compare to the canned filling version afterwards.
Can you shed light for me on why this and other desserts are called a pudding in UK? In America, pudding is always a dairy affair. MAYbe *possibly* some puréed fruit in it, but always silky and chilled.
Thanks!
I’m sure it’s like the biscuit vs cookie thing , crisps vs chips vs french fries or English muffins vs…IDK what they’re called in UK lol Ain’t language fun ☺️
Yes, you are correct, it’s just a different way of saying “desserts”, and if you think about it, our American English was born from British English, so you should really be asking why we don’t call desserts, puddings! :)
Since this was the first time I was making this recipe I followed the directions exactly. I wasn’t sure about the amount of lemon indicated and as I expected, the lemon overwhelmed the apples and made for more of a lemon pudding than apple flavor. I generally add a hint of lemon in anything apple I bake but the rind and juice of an entire lemon, even a small one was too much, in my opinion. The addition of the traditional custard softened the lemon flavor somewhat but this was not Eve’s pudding as my English husband remembers. We’ll give it a try again soon, but with modifications.
Hi Alicia, I am so sorry, you are correct in that I should have an amount for the lemon juice since the size and amount of juice varies greatly from lemon to lemon. I wrote this recipe when I first started my site and I have not updated it since. I’m glad you’ll make it again as it shouldn’t be overpowered with lemon. Thanks for your kind note, I appreciate it! CC
No apologies necessary , Christina, cooking is an adventure, one dish at a time! I could have reduced the lemon myself but, as I said and especially with something like an English recipe, I follow instructions as they’re written. I’ll certainly make it again and will include your lovely custard. We have affectionately dubbed the original version, Christina’s lemoncello pudding!
Hahaha! A good sense of humor to boot, I love it! You are much too kind! I hope others see how you messaged me so kindly and follow suit! It’s a much needed thing in this day and age. Happy baking, Alicia!
British food got a bad reputation in the mid 20th century due to the draconian war and post war rationing laws.
I’m so excited to try this. I loved visiting England and Scotland and to try the yummy dishes. Is this recipe best served right away or can it be served a few hours later.
Hi Rebecca, you’ll love it! I prefer it warm out of the oven (just cooled a bit) but it’s totally fine a few hours later, too! Enjoy!