Ginger sponge pudding is an oven baked pudding with a golden sponge infused with ground ginger and with a honey and lemon drizzle topping. It is a cosy comfort food perfect for chilly days and is simple to make.
It is similar to a treacle sponge pudding but the syrup is honey based to add natural sweetness. Take a look at some other recipes where I have used honey as a substitute for golden syrup including honey flapjacks and brandy snaps.
It is also made without suet making it suitable for vegetarians.
Traditional puddings are perfect for winter days especially when served with a dollop of custard. But some British puddings need to be steamed and this can take several hours. If you want a quicker cooking pudding without the lengthy steaming process then this oven baked pudding is definitely worth a try.
It is made with a basic sponge batter cooked over a sticky syrup made from honey and lemon juice. The sponge and syrup fuse together when baking to create a super moist sponge. It is a pretty good imitation of a steamed pudding but with a shorter cooking time.
Watch the video to see just how easy this sponge pudding recipe is to make.
This recipe for ginger sponge pudding can be made in a 750 ml (¾ litre) or a 1000ml (1 litre) pudding basin.
Take a look at some other recipes for English cakes and bakes including cherry Bakewell, mini iced Bakewell tarts, oaty fruit crumble, lemon drizzle cake, Eccles cakes, vanilla slices and lemon drizzle cupcakes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for detailed list of ingredients and instructions.
- Honey and lemon juice - use half to bake with the pudding and half to drizzle over the top after baking.
- Butter
- Caster sugar
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Ground ginger
- Eggs
- Milk
How to prepare
Mix the half the honey and half the lemon juice in the base of a pudding bowl. Mix the rest of the honey and lemon juice in a jug and put to one side ready to drizzle over the sponge pudding after baking.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl.
Add the other sponge ingredients and beat.
Spoon the sponge mixture into the pudding bowl over the syrup. The first few spoons of sponge batter will sink in to the syrup but keep adding the sponge batter a spoonful at a time and finish the top to a level surface.
Cover loosely with foil and bake at 180℃, 350℉, gas mark 4 until firm (about 40 - 45 minutes).
As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen it from the bowl.
Place a plate over the top of the pudding and turn it over so that the pudding slides out of the bowl and onto the plate.
Drizzle the remainder of the honey and lemon syrup over the pudding.
Tips
- Don't forget to oil or grease the pudding basin to make it easier to remove from the bowl.
- If the honey is cold, warm it slightly so that it is easier to mix with the lemon juice.
How to serve
- Serve hot with custard.
- Ginger sponge pudding can also be enjoyed cold with cream.
- If you have any leftovers, they can be reheated either in the oven or using a microwave.
Storage instructions
- It can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.
- Ginger sponge pudding can also be frozen, either whole or after being cut into portions.
Other British baking recipes
- Fruit crumble with oats1 Hours 5 Minutes
- Baked apples40 Minutes
- Cherry Bakewell tart (frangipane)1 Hours 55 Minutes
- Pear and almond tart1 Hours 10 Minutes
Ginger sponge pudding
Ingredients
Sponge ingredients
- 175 grams butter
- 175 grams caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 170 grams flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
Sauce ingredients
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 1 lemon (juice only)
Instructions
Prepare the sauce
- Lightly oil or butter the pudding basin.
- Place 3 tablespoons honey (half the total amount of honey) and the juice of half a lemon (half the total amount of lemon juice) in the pudding bowl and mix.
- Mix the other half of the honey and lemon juice in a jug ready to drizzle over the sponge pudding after baking.
Prepare the sponge
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs, milk, flour, baking powder and ginger and beat., either by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Place the sponge mixture in the basin over the sauce and level the top. Note: the first few spoons of sponge batter will sink into the syrup. Do not be concerned about this, just keep adding further spoons of cake batter and then finish to a level surface.
Bake
- Loosely cover with foil and bake at 180℃, 350℉, gas mark 4 until firm (about 40 - 45 minutes). Check it is cooked using a warm skewer - insert the skewer into the sponge and if the skewer comes out clean the sponge is cooked.
- Run a knife around the edge of the pudding to loosen. Place a plate on top of the pudding bowl, turn over and tip the pudding onto the plate while hot. Tip: You must do this while the pudding is still hot otherwise it is likely to stick in the bowl and be difficult to remove.
- Drizzle the remainder of the honey and lemon sauce over the pudding.
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