Slow Cooker Steamed Jam Sponge Pudding is an absolute stonker of a comfort food pudding. Light but wonderfully filling it is a huge hug in a bowl and one of my favourite Sunday Lunch desserts ever. You can make it by steaming in a saucepan too. But I just love the ease of the slow cooker here. It is an absolute breeze.
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What is a steamed pudding?
A steamed pudding is a mixture that is sweet or savoury and cooked with steam in a saucepan or slow cooker. The steam is created by water that surrounds the mixture which is cooked in a heatproof bowl.
The Christmas Pudding is an exception to the sponge rule, being rammed full of dried fruit and a generous splosh of alcohol.....hooray!
I find it super easy to cook mine in the slow cooker and I love to serve this jammy version for Sunday Lunch. It is always a crowd pleaser and another noise maker. It makes my Sunday every damn time, it's so lush.
The recipe card with full ingredients & instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.
Equipment Required
- mixer, mixing bowl and hand held electric whisk or wooden spoon
- scales
- kettle
- 2 pint pudding basin with lid or baking paper and silver foil square & string to secure
- large spoon
- spatula
- slow cooker or saucepan
Recipe
I make my steamed jam sponge in my free standing mixer because that is always the way I roll but a large mixing bowl and electric hand held mixer is great too.
If you're feeling energetic then a plain old wooden spoon and mixing bowl will do the same job.
Ingredients and Substitutions
150 grams (5.3 oz) Jam - I use my favourite strawberry jam
150 grams (5.3 0z) Butter - unsalted or you can use baking spread.
150 grams (5.3 oz) Flour - self raising or you can substitute plain with a tsp of baking powder
150 grams (5.3 oz) Sugar - Caster sugar refined or unrefined or you can substitute granulated
3 Large Eggs
3 tbsp Milk - semi skimmed or full fat.
Method
- Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. I use the plastic lidded bowls that are made for steamed puddings as I struggle/cannot be bothered with all the pleating and tying of string that is required for the ceramic bowls. Sometimes I miss the greasing out and it hasn't stuck yet but don't hold me to it.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and thickened a little. This takes a couple of minutes.
- Whisk or beat in half the beaten eggs followed by half the flour for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining eggs and flour all at once as well as the milk. Whisk or beat again for another minute.
- The batter should be a soft dropping consistency. Add a splash more milk if it's not.
- Spoon the jam into the bottom of your pudding bowl.
- Carefully spoon the sponge mixture into the bowl so that it stays on top of the jam.
- Smooth over and place the lid or your coverings over the top.
- Place the pudding bowl carefully in the slow cooker and pour just boiled water into the slow cooker bowl so that it comes ¾ of the way up the pudding bowl.
- Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours on High.
- If using a saucepan to steam your pudding then steam for 2 hrs 30 minutes.
- To serve take it carefully out of the slow cooker or saucepan. Remove the lid and invert the pudding carefully onto a large serving plate. To do this I put the plate on top of the bowl and very carefully rotate so the plate is on the bottom and then slowly lift the bowl clear.
Cooking Tips
- Grease your pudding bowl generously.
- Use a plastic lidded pudding bowl for ease.
- Add a splash of milk extra if needed to make sure the batter is a soft dropping consistency.
- Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave
- You can steam this pudding in a saucepan too for 2 hrs and 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I serve it with either vanilla custard, vanilla ice cream or double cream (heavy cream).
More traditional pudding recipes
- Steamed Chocolate Sponge Pudding
- Slow Cooker Treacle Sponge
- Slow Cooker Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Spotted Dick
- Old Fashioned Baked Chocolate Sponge Pudding
- Jam Roly Poly
- Treacle Tart
- Apple Crumble
- Apple Pie
- Apple Crumble
- Steamed Lemon Sponge Pudding
- Jam and Coconut Sponge
Slow Cooker Jam Sponge
Ingredients
- 150 grams self raising flour
- 150 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tbsps milk
- 150 grams strawberry jam
Instructions
- Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. I use the plastic lidded bowls that are made for steamed puddings as I struggle/cannot be bothered with all the pleating and tying of string that is required for the ceramic bowls.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and thickened a little. This takes a couple of minutes.
- Whisk or beat in half the beaten eggs followed by half the flour for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining eggs and flour all at once as well as the milk. Whisk or beat again for another minute.
- The batter should be a soft dropping consistency. Add a splash more milk if it's not.
- Spoon the jam into your pudding bowl.
- Carefully spoon the sponge mixture on top of the jam so that it stays on top of the jam and not mixed in.
- Smooth over and place the lid or your coverings over the top.
- Place the pudding bowl carefully in the slow cooker and pour just boiled water into the slow cooker bowl so that it comes ¾ of the way up the pudding bowl.
- Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours on High or for 2 hrs 30 minutes steaming in a saucepan or steamer.
- To serve take it carefully out of the slow cooker. Remove the lid and invert the pudding onto a large serving plate. Let the pudding release. Tap the top of the bowl if nothing is happening. I put the plate on top of the bowl and very carefully rotate so the plate is on the bottom and then slowly lift the bowl clear.
- Apply To Sticky, Jammy Face
Notes
- Grease your pudding bowl generously.
- Add a splash of milk to make sure the batter is a soft dropping consistency.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave
- You can steam this pudding in a saucepan or steamer too for 2 hrs and 30 minutes.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you get on in the comments below or why not come on over and join me on my social media pages. I would love to see you there.
Eileen says
Can you make a 1lb jam sponge, half ingredients ???
Jenny says
Hi, I haven't done so but I would think it would be perfect. Sorry I was late to reply. I missed it. Thank you for reaching out x
Angela says
I have made this pudding several times, I’ve used different flavourings inc jam, lemon curd and chocolate. It’s become a firm favourite with my family. I’ve just put a syrup sponge pudding in the slow cooker to steam for tomorrows Sunday pudding. Very easy and seems to be foolproof. My daughter made the chocolate sponge last week for a family Sunday lunch , everyone loved it, the chocolate sauce complimented the sponge so well.
Jenny says
Oh that's absolutely fabulous to hear. Thank you so much for reaching out. I'm so pleased. I made the lemon one today actually too! Classic comfort food, my fave x
Chris says
I have made the pudding and let it cool unopened. I would like to reheat it. Can I just put it back in the slow cooker for a few hours?
Jenny says
Hi,
I have not done that before so am reluctant to say yes but I think it would work. You could also do the same in an oven I'm guessing but I tend to slice and reheat in individual portions in the microwave. But I will experiment with this as would be good to have the answer wouldn't it. I'll reply back to you when I have done it and write it into the recipe but I know that'll be later than when you could do with the answer! Thank you for reaching out and enjoy!