
A historical dessert from The White House cook book; a comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home .. (1913). This is presented as a healthier alternative to using wine for soaking the cake. The cake will swell and fill the custard during baking.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Butter pudding-mold
Fill the mold with small sponge cakes or slices of stale plain cake that have been soaked in a liquid made by dissolving one-half pint of jelly in a pint of hot water
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Make a sufficient quantity of custard to fill the mold and leave as much more to be boiled in a dish by itself
Set the mold, after being tightly covered, into a kettle and boil one hour
Turn out of the mold and serve with some of the other custard poured over it
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
Soaking stale cake in jelly-water rehydrates the crumb structure through capillary action, while the dissolved pectin from jelly helps bind moisture. The custard penetrates gaps between cake pieces, and as it sets during steaming, creates a unified pudding structure. Steaming rather than baking provides gentle, even heat that prevents curdling while allowing the cake to swell and absorb liquid without drying out.
The jelly-soaked cake can be assembled in the buttered mold up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. The custard can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring both to room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding with steaming to ensure even cooking.
Store leftover pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The texture will soften further as it sits. Serve cold or reheat individual portions in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The extra custard sauce should be stored separately in an airtight container and can be reheated gently in a saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The jelly-soaked cake can be assembled in the buttered mold up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. The custard can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring both to room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding with steaming to ensure even cooking.
Store leftover pudding covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The texture will soften further as it sits. Serve cold or reheat individual portions in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The extra custard sauce should be stored separately in an airtight container and can be reheated gently in a saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly.