Nigella Lawson’s 6-minute method for ‘ridiculously light’ syrup sponge

Steamed puddings are a traditional British classic but, to home bakers, they can be a bit daunting to take on as they can be tricky to perfect and take a long time to cook.

A sponge pudding is a moist cake dessert that is traditionally steamed in a bowl or mold, and is typically served with custard. There are a huge array of flavours to try, including clementine sponge, figgy pudding and steamed marmalade pudding, but undoubtedly one of the most popular is the syrup sponge.

This classic dessert consists of steamed sponge cake with golden syrup cooked on top and can be served with custard, cream or ice cream.

When cooked using the traditional steaming method, a syrup sponge pudding usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to cook, but TV cook Nigella Lawson says there is a much quicker way to make it.

Lawson has shared a six-minute method that will result in a “ridiculously” light syrup sponge without the hassle of having to steam it in the oven. The 65-year-old says cooking the pudding in a trice in the microwave for just six minutes will yield the same results, so “it’s like being rewarded for impatience”.

Explaining the recipe on her YouTube channel, Lawson says: “Now, you might think that making a steamed syrup sponge when you’re impatient to eat it is madness since they take hours to steam, but I have an alternative method. I give it a brief blast in the you-know-what [microwave].”

Lawson also recommends eating the sponge in one sitting as it can become stodgy and dense if it is kept, so it’s the ideal treat if you’re looking for a quick sugary treat.

She adds: “While I have nothing against stodge, what strikes me whenever I eat this, is how ridiculously light the sponge is. All too often this kind of pud is disparaged these days as dense, when this is far from the case.

“Freshly steamed, the sponge has a feathery and open texture; it’s only on keeping that it becomes indigestibly heavy. In other words, you have to make the supreme sacrifice and eat it all up at once.

“This version differs from the traditional model in one way only; it’s cooked in a trice in the microwave. It’s like being rewarded for impatience! All I require with this golden treasure is copious amounts of cool double cream, though I concede there are undeniable arguments to be made on behalf of custard or ice cream.”