Gordon Ramsay’s apple pudding is his take on Eve’s pudding, with Braeburn apples caramelised in butter and demerara sugar, sultanas soaked in Calvados, topped with a lemon sponge and flaked almonds. Bakes at 190°C for 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 6.
This comes from Sunday Lunch, where Ramsay calls it “my update on Eve’s pudding, a homely baked apple pudding that’s been around for ages.” He went head-to-head with his mum on The F Word, each making their own version. His mum used a Delia Smith recipe. He told her “this is payback time for all that grey lamb you served me for those years.”
What separates this from every other version is the caramelised apples. Ramsay fries the pieces in butter and sugar until they colour, which drives out the water so the base doesn’t go soggy under the sponge. Then the Calvados hits the hot pan with the sultanas, and that boozy steam gets trapped under the sponge as it bakes.
Gordon Ramsay Apple Pudding
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes35
minutes480
kcal50
minutesFrom Sunday Lunch: Braeburn apples caramelised with butter and demerara, sultanas flambéed in Calvados, topped with a lemon zest sponge and flaked almonds. Baked at 190°C and served with vanilla crème fraîche.
Ingredients
50g (1¾ oz) sultanas
3 tbsp Calvados
240g (8½ oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
3 Braeburn or Pink Lady apples
175g (6 oz) demerara sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
150g (5 oz) self-raising flour
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2-3 tbsp milk
30g (1 oz) flaked almonds
Icing sugar, to dust
- To serve:
1 vanilla pod
200g (7 oz) crème fraîche
Directions
- Soak and prep: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan / 375°F / Gas 5). Soak the sultanas in the Calvados. Lightly grease a 25cm cake tin or ovenproof dish.
- Caramelise the apples: Peel, core and chop the apples. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, add the apples with 15g of the butter and one-third of the sugar. Cook until they begin to caramelise, tossing to colour evenly. Tip in the sultanas and Calvados and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until tender. Transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly. Leave to cool.
- Make the sponge: Cream the remaining butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, stirring in a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to split. Fold in the flour and lemon zest, alternating with the milk until at a dropping consistency.
- Bake: Pour the sponge over the apples. Scatter with flaked almonds and a dusting of icing sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
- Serve: Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the crème fraîche. Whip until blended. Serve the pudding warm with a generous dollop.
FAQs
What is the difference between Gordon’s and his mum’s apple pudding?
Completely different dishes, both in Sunday Lunch. Gordon caramelises the apples in butter and sugar, soaks sultanas in Calvados, and tops with a sponge and almonds. His mum Helen makes a sweet pastry crust, fills it with stewed Granny Smiths, and tops with meringue instead.
On The F Word they cook side by side and his mum uses a Delia Smith recipe. Ramsay writes that “as far as she’s concerned, hers is definitely better.”
Why does Ramsay caramelise the apples instead of stewing them?
Stewed apples release water as they soften, which soaks into the sponge from underneath and makes the base soggy. Frying them in butter and demerara drives that water off first, while the sugar caramelises and adds a toffee depth you can’t get from stewing.
He uses Braeburn or Pink Lady because they hold their shape when fried. Cooking apples like Bramleys would collapse into mush.
Can you skip the Calvados?
The pudding works without it, but you lose the boozy warmth that lifts the sultanas. Apple juice is the closest non-alcoholic swap because it reinforces the apple flavour instead of diluting it.
Brandy works too, though the apple-specific flavour won’t be as clean.
