Treacle sponge is a traditional English dessert made by steaming a pudding with a layer of sweet syrup. The syrup is called molasses and is poured over the top after the sponge is removed from the baking dish. The pudding is made with softened butter, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, and sometimes milk. It is steamed for an hour or more until it has set and is served with custard, whipped cream, or flavored treacle.
Treacle sponge is a traditional English dessert made by steaming pudding until it becomes a light cake which is cooked with a layer of sweet syrup. The syrup, which is called molasses, is sweet in a way that’s thinner than pure sugar and is cooked in a layer under the pudding, as well as poured over the top after the sponge is removed from the baking dish. It’s easy to make a treacle sponge, with the recipe requiring not only very little preparation, but also a large tolerance for cooking times and ingredients. The finished treacle sponge is usually served with custard, whipped cream, or drenched in flavored treacle.
The sweetness in steamed pudding comes mainly from two sources, granulated sugar or brown sugar, and the thick syrup known as molasses. Molasses is the liquid that remains after most of the sugar crystals have been extracted from the sugar liquor produced during the processing of raw sugar. It comes in a sweet, lightly colored form known as golden syrup, and a much sturdier, darker-colored form called black treacle. Most treacle sponge recipes use the lighter golden syrup.
The first step in making a treacle sponge is to create the pudding. Typical ingredients include softened butter, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, and sometimes milk. For pudding to form properly and cook properly, the butter used needs to be as soft as possible without actually being melted. The flour used is normally sieved, again to ensure that the pudding comes together in an even, smooth batter. Milk can be used, as can vanilla beans or vanilla extract, to bring out a more cake-like taste.
A skillet is prepared by greasing the inside with butter and then pouring a thin layer of molasses on the bottom. The breadcrumbs are sometimes pressed into the syrup, so the final treacle sponge has a kind of sweet crust on top when it cooks. The pudding is poured into the pan and the dish is covered tightly with foil to prevent water from entering the pan.
The pan containing the pudding is then placed in a steamer or large pot and steamed for an hour or more until it has set. Once done, the treacle sponge is allowed to rest and cool for a short time before being flipped out and unmolded onto a serving platter. More molasses is poured over the sponge. Some commercially available versions of molasses are flavored with ingredients such as vanilla or caramel and can be used to give the cake a different flavor.
When served, the treacle sponge is usually accompanied by a plain custard that is made from the same wheel or brown sugar that is used in the sponge. Whipped cream can also be placed on the side. Butter, fresh fruit and a small amount of cream can also be served with dessert.
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