Indulge in this delightful Christmas pudding loaf, a festive treat bursting with rich dried fruits, zesty orange and lemon, and a hint of warming brandy. This easy-to-slice loaf is quicker to cook than traditional steamed puddings and is perfect for sharing during the holidays.
for the topping, left whole
grated
zest only
zest only
for the topping
for the topping
for the topping
beaten
for the topping
roughly chopped for the topping, left whole
roughly chopped for the topping, left whole
roughly chopped for the topping, left whole
for dusting, optional
In a large bowl, combine the dried fruit, glace cherries, grated Bramley apple, orange zest, lemon zest, apple juice, brandy, and Cointreau. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then cover and leave to soak overnight to allow the flavours to meld.
The next day, generously butter a 2lb loaf tin and line it with a strip of non-stick baking paper, ensuring it overhangs the sides for easy removal. Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Have a roasting tin and a sheet of buttered foil ready, and boil a kettle of water.
In a separate bowl, beat the 140g butter and 100g dark muscovado sugar together until the mixture is lighter in colour and creamy. Gradually stir in the beaten eggs, self-raising flour, white breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp golden syrup, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, salt, the soaked fruit mixture, and the roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, and blanched almonds. Mix until well combined.
Spoon the pudding mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Loosely scrunch the buttered foil over the tin, twisting the corners to secure it around the edges. Place the loaf tin into the roasting tin, then carefully pour a few centimetres of boiling water into the roasting tin around the loaf tin. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and continue to cook for another 1 hour and 30 minutes, topping up the water level in the roasting tin as needed to prevent it from drying out.
For the topping, gently heat the 50g butter, 50g dark muscovado sugar, and 1 tbsp golden syrup in a small saucepan until the sugar has fully dissolved. Stir in the 1 tbsp brandy, then add the whole toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds, and glace cherries. Spoon this warm topping over the hot pudding.
If desired, dust the finished pudding with a little icing sugar before serving.
For easy slicing, allow the pudding to cool completely before cutting.
This Christmas pudding loaf freezes beautifully. Once cooled, wrap it tightly in cling film and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, you can either return the pudding to a medium oven in its tin for 30 minutes, or turn it out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film, and microwave for 5 minutes on medium power.