How To Make Prue Leith’s Gluten Free & Orange Cardamom Puddings

It was Dessert Week on last night’s quarter final of Bake Off, which saw bakers Aaron, Jasmine, Toby, Iain and Tom battling it out across three not-so-sweet challenges. Up first was a Basque cheesecake, with Paul Hollywood telling viewers the judges were looking for a ‘jelly-like’ wobble. Then, it was time for the technical: orange and cardamom steamed gluten-free puddings – described by Paul as ‘old-school baking’. With no timings set, there was plenty of room for error, and bakers including Iain struggled to nail it. Think you could do better? Here’s the exact recipe from the show.

Bake Off Recipe: Prue Leith’s Gluten Free & Orange Cardamom Puddings

‘These comforting warm orange and cardamom puddings are the perfect antidote to a cold winter’s day. The whole orange purée gives a bold citrussy kick, and the added bonus is that they are gluten free, delicious for everyone!’

Ingredients:

For the puddings

• 1 small thin-skinned, seedless orange
• 2 blush or blood oranges
• 140g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 70g caster sugar
• 70g soft light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 70g ground almonds
• 70g gluten free, self-raising flour
• 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

For the syrup

• 130g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 65ml boiling water
• 1 lemon wedge
• 12 cardamom pods
• For the crème anglaise
• ½ vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
• 125ml whole milk
• 125ml double cream
• 3
medium egg yolks
• 30g caster sugar

Equipment

• 6 x 200ml pudding basins
• Pestle & mortar
• String
• Blow torch

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
2. For the puddings, place the seedless orange in a small pan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and cut the orange into quarters. Tip the orange quarters into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a purée. Leave to cool.
4. For the syrup, tip 30g of the caster sugar into a small pan and add 2 tbsp water. Place over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and cook to a golden caramel.
5. Remove from the heat and very carefully pour in the boiling water (stand back as the caramel will spit a bit). Return to a low heat, add the lemon wedge and remaining 100g caster sugar, then stir until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes to a light golden colour and syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
6. Grease 6 x 200ml pudding basins with butter and line the bottom with small circles of baking paper, then grease the baking paper circles.
7. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the syrup into each pudding mould and reserve the remaining syrup in the pan.
8. Cut 3 x 1cm slices from the middle of each blush orange and then trim the peel off each slice. Drain the orange slices on kitchen paper. Squeeze the juice from the remaining 4 orange ends and add to the reserved syrup in the pan.
9. Place one slice of orange into each pudding mould on top of the syrup.
10. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, caster sugar and soft light brown sugar together for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the orange purée.
11. Sieve the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and ground cardamom together, then fold into the cake mixture and mix to a smooth batter.
12. Divide the sponge batter between the moulds. Cut six circles of paper and six circles of foil 3cm larger than the top of the pudding moulds. Cover the pudding moulds with the paper and foil and secure with string.
13. Place a rack in the roasting tin then place the moulds on top of the rack. Pour enough boiling water into the tin to come up to the base of the pudding moulds. Cover the tin with foil and seal the edges. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
14. Crack the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar and remove the seeds. Discard the pods then gently crush the seeds (not to a powder, just to release their fragrance). Add the crushed seeds to the syrup in the pan and bring to the boil stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently, to a pouring syrup consistency.
15. For the crème anglaise, heat the milk, cream and vanilla seeds in a pan over a medium heat to just below boiling point. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Pour over the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into a heavy-based pan and cook over a very low heat for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.
16. When the puddings are baked, carefully remove from the oven and leave to cool for 2 minutes. Remove the string, foil and baking paper, then turn out onto a lipped tray. Using a blow torch, caramelise the orange slices on top of each pudding, then pour the cardamom syrup over the puddings, covering the sponges in syrup.
17. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with the crème anglaise.

Recipe from thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk