Bakewell pudding is a truly classic British dessert originating from Derbyshire. It's an ensemble of puff pastry, jam and a rich & buttery egg custard topping enhanced with a few other ingredients, including ground almonds. It's a real treat guaranteed to get diners talking when it's served.
This dessert is not to be confused with cherry Bakewell tart or Buxton pudding.
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It's with a little trepidation that I'm sharing my recipe for Bakewell pudding. Don't get me wrong, I have 100% confidence in this recipe but... It's really not a looker.... and there are some strong opinions about what constitutes an authentic Bakewell pudding. That's aside from the confusion that arises about Bakewell pudding versus Bakewell tart.
Confession: I'll level with you: I'm scared about the backlash.
However, as this dessert is an essential recipe for any noteworthy collection of Midlands recipes, I'm biting the bullet (no doubt dodging a few) and proudly publishing my rendition. My Bakewell pudding recipe has been exceedingly well-tested. Version one was a complete flop... but many iterations later, here's the recipe that I'm proud of.
Don't miss thor cake. It's another wonderful Derbyshire bake.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Unique: there's no other dessert quite like this old-fashioned pudding.
- Taste: it's rich, buttery, custardy, sweet and jammy. Basically, it's all the good things about dessert rolled into one.
- Appearance: traditional Bakewell pudding is not high up in the looks department. In fact, it's so plain (some might call it ugly) looking that its humble appearance will be a talking point and lead diners to ask what it actually is.
What is Bakewell pudding?
Bakewell pudding is an old-fashioned British dessert originating from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire.
Although recipes vary all of them include the following:
- A puff pastry case.
- A generous layer of jam on top of the pastry case.
- A rich and buttery egg-custard style topping enhanced with ground almonds.
This pudding is humble in appearance but, oh my, it packs a punch in terms of flavour, texture and originality. There is no other pudding quite like it.
What's the difference between a Bakewell Pudding and a Bakewell tart?
Bakewell pudding should never be confused with a Bakewell tart, which is an entirely different bake (locals would not give the tart the time of day). There are four marked differences between a Bakewell pudding and a Bakewell tart:
- Bakewell pudding has a puff pastry case whereas Bakewell tart uses shortcrust pastry.
- The jam in a Bakewell pudding can be virtually any flavour. In a Bakewell tart it is typically raspberry, strawberry or cherry.
- The filling in a Bakewell pudding is similar to egg custard with the inclusion of a small amount of ground almonds. A Bakewell tart has a frangipane-style filling.
- Bakewell pudding is never iced whereas a drizzle of water icing (or a thicker covering) is often used to garnish the top of a Bakewell tart.
Oh, and the Bakewell pud should also not be confused with Buxton pudding. That's an entirely different bake and well worth taking an adventure with too.
Is there a definitive authentic Bakewell pudding recipe?
I'm sure plenty of people would argue that there must be. But in my research for this classic Derbyshire pudding, I came across a wide variety of recipes. And there weren't just one or two differences across these recipes, there were plenty, including the following:
- The amount of eggs and egg yolks used.
- Whether to cream the butter or use melted butter or clarified butter.
- Although all recipes agreed that white sugar should be used some didn't specify what type whilst some opted for powdered sugar.
- Flavour of jam - plenty of the recipes deviate from the ubiquitous raspberry and strawberry jam. Think along the lines of apricot, gooseberry or plum jams. One or two recipes even called for using a mixture of several jams.
- Candied peel - I found a couple of very old recipes advocating the inclusion of citrus peel, but plenty do not list them as an ingredient.
- When it comes to the almonds, a few of the recipes specified bitter almonds or apricot kernels.
- And then there's the mysterious secret ingredient that local Bakewell bakeries are proud to mention but unwilling to disclose. I've come across numerous suggested additions which could all be the mystery ingredient. These include spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, rosewater, almond extract, lemon zest and lemon brandy.
So, in my view, there are so many ingredient variations when you get down to it that it's impossible to say for certain which is the original, and therefore, authentic traditional Bakewell pudding recipe.
Is this an authentic recipe for Bakewell pudding?
Given that I cannot say for certain what the original Bakewell pudding recipe is, I am making no claim that my version is authentic. I have, however, tested various techniques and ingredient combinations and come up with a version that works well and delivers a fantastic dessert.
Ingredients notes
Butter: real butter is required for this recipe. It's essential for the rough puff pastry as it helps to create wonderful lamination in the pastry case. Note that for the filling the butter is clarified. This is a quick and easy step to achieve (it takes 5 minutes).
Sugar: opinion is split over whether white sugar or icing sugar should be used. I came across a number of older recipes advocating the use of powdered sugar. I trialled both and found that the best results were achieved with icing sugar.
Eggs: the key to creating a rich and delicious egg custard-style filling in this recipe for Bakewell pudding is the inclusion of plenty of egg yolks. For that reason, there are 4 yolks plus just 1 whole egg. I played around with different ratios but this is the one that worked wonders in my recipe trials.
Almonds: plenty of old recipes list bitter almonds, or even apricot kernels, but as these ingredients are not easy to get hold of, I've used ground almonds plus a dash of almond extract.
Jam: although strawberry and raspberry jam dominate commercially produced puddings these days old recipes cite plenty of other flavours of jam as being entirely suitable. So break with the norm and use whatever takes your fancy (or whatever you have to hand in the cupboard.
That said, I highly recommend apricot jam to pay homage to those old recipes that suggest the use of ground apricot kernels in place of almonds.
Whatever flavour you go with, make sure it's a good quality with at least 50% fruit per 100g.
Candied citrus peel: this is an old-fashioned ingredient that many modern-day recipes and bakeries exclude. Well, in my opinion, it adds to this old-fashioned Derbyshire pudding enormously. Pick quality peel and chop it up yourself (avoid the woefully inadequate supermarket version).
The mysterious secret ingredient: as I alluded to earlier, plenty of local Bakewell bakeries talk about a secret ingredient. It's hard to say exactly what this ingredient is, but nutmeg, almond extract and rosewater feature often in the plethora of recipes I came across. I've included all three but you can omit any, or all of them, if you want to.
Equipment note
Use a shallow pie plate for this recipe rather than a deep pie dish. The plate should be around 23cm (9-inches) in diameter and about 3½cm deep.
Step by step instructions
There are really 2 stages to making this Bakewell pudding recipe:
- Prepare the pastry case.
- Make the filling and bake it.
Here are the details.
Prepare the pastry case
I use a rough puff pastry recipe that gives great results. Of course, you can use readymade puff pastry. Just pick up the method from step 9 below.
- Divide the butter into 4 portions.
- Put the flour and salt into a bowl and stir then cube 1 portion of the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips.
- Pour in ¾ of the water and use a blunt knife to mix everything into a soft dough. Add more of the water if necessary (do not add so much that the dough turns sticky).
- Sprinkle a light dusting of flour onto the worktop and roll the dough out into a long rectangle approximately 4mm thick. Cube another portion of the butter and scatter it over ⅔ of the dough, leaving the final ⅓ empty.
- Now fold the empty third of the dough over the top of the dough to bring it to the centre.
- Fold the other end of the pastry over the top, then turn the pastry 90 degrees.
- Roll the pastry into an oblong again and repeat the folding in steps 5-6 (but do not add more butter at this stage). Repeat once more, then cover the dough and chill for 20 minutes.
- Repeat steps 4-7 twice more to incorporate the 2 remaining portions of butter.
- Chill the pastry for 1 hour in the fridge then roll it out to around 2-3mm thickness and use it to line a shallow pie plate and return it to the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
- Prick the base of the pastry with a fork then line the pastry with parchment paper, fill it to the top with dried pulses (e.g. lentils and small beans) and bake for 15 minutes (on a baking sheet that has been in the oven while it heats up.
- Remove the pulses and baking parchment then spread the jam and the citrus peel over the base of the tart case.
Make the filling and bake the tart
- Begin by clarifying the butter: put it into a small pan and melt it gently, cooking until a white foam appears on the top. Use a metal spoon to carefully remove this foam and discard it. Pour the melted butter slowly into a heatproof jug. As you pour you will notice creamy white milk solids sitting in the bottom of the pan. Do not let these pass into the jug.
- Put the icing sugar, ground almonds and nutmeg into a bowl. Pour in the clarified butter and beat, using electric beaters, until combined.
- Now add the whole egg, egg yolks, rose water and almond extract. Beat for a further 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks pale.
- Pour the egg mixture over the jam and citrus peel.
- Place the pie plate on the bottom shelf of the oven (on the hot baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes. Move it up to the middle shelf and bake for a further 20 minutes until the top looks well-risen and dark golden in colour.
- Let the Bakewell pudding cool for around 45 minutes before cutting into it. Do not serve this pudding straight from the oven as it should not be served hot.
Expert tips
- If you're intending to use store-bought pastry you'll need around 350-400g of puff pastry.
- Put a baking sheet into the oven as it warms up and place the pie plate on it throughout the cooking process. It helps ensure that the base of the pudding is nicely cooked and crisp rather than soggy.
- Blind baking the pastry is also necessary to avoid a soggy bottom.
Frequently asked questions
It's not essential, but blind baking the pastry will significantly reduce the risk of your Bakewell pudding having a soggy bottom.
When butter is clarified, the water and milk solids are removed and the result is a purer butter that adds depth of flavour to the final baked product. I'll pretend not to notice if you decide to skip this step and simply melt the butter before beating it into the sugar.
Some recipes opt to cream room-temperature butter together with the sugar but I had disappointing results using this method, so I do not advocate it.
Yes, it is absolutely normal for the filling in a Bakewell pudding to puff up as it bakes and then collapse when it is out of the oven.
Yes, it can. Leftovers should be covered and stored in the fridge. Reheat in a low oven for 10 minutes.
I'm afraid Bakewell pudding does not freeze well. The egg custard filling turns rubbery.
Serving suggestions
Traditional Bakewell pudding is best served slightly warm rather than hot, cold or chilled. If served hot then the filling will be too loose to serve without falling apart.
This dessert has a reputation for being uninviting when it comes to appearance. If you feel the need to jazz it up a little then a few toasted almond flakes work wonders.
Single cream or a scoop of clotted cream go well with Bakewell pudding. I would, however, argue that custard is not the right option as it would compete with that glorious egg-custard style topping rather than complement it.
More traditional puddings from The Midlands
Have you made this Bakewell pudding recipe? If you have please give it a rating or leave a comment - I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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Bakewell Pudding
Equipment
- 1 x shallow pie plate approximately 23cm (9-inch) diameter and 3.5cm deep
Ingredients
For the Rough Puff Pastry
- 175 g Plain flour all purpose
- 140 g Butter cold
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 120 ml Water ice-cold
For the jam layer
- 4 tablespoons Apricot jam or alternative jam of your choice
- 50 g Candied citrus peel a mixture of orange and lemon is ideal
For the egg custard filling
- 120 g Butter
- 120 g Icing sugar
- 30 g Ground almonds
- 1 Egg medium
- 4 Egg yolks medium
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ¼ Teaspoon Rosewater
- ¼ Teaspoon Almond extract
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Divide the butter into 4 portions.
- Put the flour and salt into a bowl and stir then cube 1 portion of the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips.
- Pour in ¾ of the water and use a blunt knife to mix everything into a soft dough. Add more of the water if necessary (do not add so much that the dough turns sticky).
- Sprinkle a light dusting of flour onto the worktop and roll the dough out into a long rectangle approximately 4mm thick. Cube another portion of the butter and scatter it over ⅔ of the dough, leaving the final ⅓ empty.
- Now fold the empty third of the dough over the top of the dough to bring it to the centre.
- Fold the other end of the pastry over the top, then turn the pastry 90 degrees.
- Roll the pastry into an oblong again and repeat the folding in steps 5-6 (but do not add more butter at this stage). Repeat once more, then cover the dough and chill for 20 minutes.
- Repeat steps 4-7 twice more to incorporate the 2 remaining portions of butter.
- Chill the pastry for 1 hour in the fridge then roll it out to around 2-3mm thickness and use it to line a shallow pie plate and return it to the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. Slide a bakibg sheet into the oven and preheat it to 180C/ 350F whilst the pastry chills.
- Prick the base of the pastry with a fork then line the pastry with parchment paper, fill it to the top with dried pulses (e.g. lentils and small beans). Transfer the tin to the oven, placing it on the hot baking sheet and blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes
- Remove the pulses and baking parchment from the pastry and spread the jam over it the base of the pastry case. Chop the candied peel finely and scatter it over the jam.
Make the egg custard filling
- To clarify the butter put it into a small pan and melt it gently, cooking until a white foam appears on the top. Use a metal spoon to carefully remove this foam and discard it. Pour the melted butter slowly into a heatproof jug. As you pour you will notice creamy white milk solids sitting in the bottom of the pan. Do not let these pass into the jug. Discard them too.
- Put the icing sugar, ground almonds and nutmeg into a bowl. Pour in the clarified butter and beat, using electric beaters, until combined.
- Now add the whole egg, egg yolks, rose water and almond extract. Beat for a further 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks pale.
- Pour the egg mixture over the jam and citrus peel.
- Place the pie plate on the bottom shelf of the oven (on the hot baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes. Move it up to the middle shelf and bake for a further 20 minutes until the top looks well-risen and dark golden in colour.
- Allow the Bakewell pudding to cool for around 45 minutes before cutting into it. Do not serve this pudding straight from the oven as it should not be served hot.
Notes
- If you're intending to use store-bought pastry you'll need around 350-400g of puff pastry.
- Put a baking sheet into the oven as it warms up and place the pie plate on it throughout the cooking process. It helps ensure that the base of the pudding is nicely cooked and crisp rather than soggy.
- Blind baking the pastry is also necessary to avoid a soggy bottom.
- When butter is clarified, the water and milk solids are removed and the result is a purer butter that adds depth of flavour to the final baked product. I'll pretend not to notice if you decide to skip this step and simply melt the butter before beating it into the sugar.
- It is normal for the filling in a Bakewell pudding to puff up as it bakes and then collapse when it is out of the oven.
- Leftovers should be covered and stored in the fridge. Reheat in a low oven for 10 minutes.
- Bakewell pudding does not freeze well. The egg custard filling turns rubbery.
Seeva Thiagarajah says
nice recipe.Very hardy indeed.
Jane Coupland says
Thank you Seeva - glad you enjoyed it.
Jane Coupland says
Not the prettiest of desserts, but it is extremely tasty - I hope give it a go soon.