Blackberry Sponge Pudding
As a child of the 1980s and growing up in the 1990s the arrival of an American-style fridge freezer, especially one dispensing ice, was a huge event. I would endlessly dispence ice and marvel at it.
I am partly ashamed to admit my love of expensive fridge freezers, it is my consumerist Achilles heel. In our London home we inherited an exceptional wall of white goods including a fridge, with a freezer drawer, wine cooler and drawers for bottled and canned drinks. It still gives me a thrill to open it and also to restock it. I am bombarded with fridge and freezer re-stocking videos on Instagram, who’s algorithm knows my guilty pleasure. When we do manage to finally renovate our kitchen, I would have to factor in retaining this configuration of white goods, as it brings me too much joy. Even if admittedly it does take up an entire kitchen wall… Stocking my freezer is also a source of great comfort, I feel with a well stocked freezer a sense of calm that I am efficiently prepared for whatever the week may throw at me.
At the weekends, in my parents home in Kent, there are a series of freezers to store the food we grow and reduce waste. It seems my mother shared my weakness, buying a series of commerical size freezers which have stood the test of time. They become especially useful during the growing seasons when a glut of fruit, or vegetables, overshadow reasonable quanities for jam, or preserve making. In their icy walls are a frozen pantry with wonderful ingredients to offer inspiration. Just such a case in point were last years wild blackberries which were prolific and lovingly picked, then frozen for another day. The blackberry bushes are self seeded and have formed a hedge which runs down one of the field fences in a mass of green leaves and thorns. We now have an annual blackberry picking, to gather these little dark berries. They stain and delight in equal measure, especially with children involved.
Last weekend, I found the perfect recipe to enjoy this haul, it was so good I will no doubt be back in freezer soon to finish off the remenant berries. The perfect pudding, to end a hearty Sunday lunch.
Blackberry Sponge Pudding
ingredients
150-200g blackberries
120g unsalted butter
110g golden caster sugar
2 medium organic eggs
80ml whole milk
250g self raising flour
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar, for sprinkling over the finished cake
method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan oven. You will need an oven proof dish lightly buttered, to prevent the sponge from sticking.
To make the cake mix: cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand held mixer or mixer. Add the eggs and milk and fully combine. Sift in the flour and mix by hand until just combined (don’t overmix at this point).
Empty the cake mix into your buttered dish and top with the blackberries. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over a final dusting of golden caster sugar. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.