This is my Mum's basic steamed pud recipe and it's a beaut! Serve with lashings of pouring cream and serve hot.

Ingredients

• 3-4 tablespoons golden syrup
• 75 grams butter
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ cups milk

Method

1. Put a trivet or an old saucer in the base of a deep saucepan and fill about one-third with water. Bring to the boil. Grease the base and sides of a 5-6 cup capacity heatproof pudding bowl.
2. Spoon the golden syrup into the base of the prepared pudding bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, beating well to make a light, fluffy mixture.
4. Stir together the flour and baking powder and fold into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Spoon the batter carefully on top of the golden syrup.
5. Cover the pudding with two layers of baking paper and then one of foil and secure tightly with string.
6. Place the pudding into the saucepan of boiling water. The water should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pudding bowl. Add more water from the kettle if required.
7. Cover with the saucepan lid and simmer away for 1¼ hours. Top up the water level with boiling water as it drops during cooking time.
8. Remove carefully from the heat. Stand 1-2 minutes before removing the foil and paper and turning out onto a plate to serve. If wished, spoon over extra golden syrup before serving.
9. To cook in the microwave
10. Grease the base and sides of a 5-6 cup capacity microwave-proof bowl. Spoon in 1 level tablespoon of golden syrup. Fill with the pudding batter. Microwave uncovered on high power (100%) for 2 minutes, the cook on medium power (50%) for 10 minutes. Stand 1 minute before turning out onto a serving plate. Pour over the remaining golden syrup before serving. Tested in a 900w oven.
11. To cook in the oven
12. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper that comes halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Spread the golden syrup over the paper on the base. Top with the batter. Bake at 180ºC for 40 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand 1-2 minutes before turning out upsidedown on a cake plate to serve.

Cooks Tips

When tying the string around the pudding bowl, loop it over the top and under the opposite side and secure to make a handle. This way the hot pudding bowl is easier to remove from the boiling water.