Steamed syrup pudding

Dessert: serves 4-6. Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serve this pud with loads of hot custard, ideally that you have made yourself, or alternatively whipped or clotted cream, or a rich vanilla ice.

2 tbsp golden syrup
125g unsalted butter
125g castor sugar
2 large eggs and 1 yolk
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
175g self-raising flour, sifted

Butter a 750ml (1 ¹/2 pint) pudding bowl and coat the base with the golden syrup. To make the sponge, cream together the butter and sugar - you can do this in a mixer or food processor. Add the eggs, the yolk and orange zest, and all the flour: incorporate this as quickly as possible. Spoon into the pudding bowl.

Place a circle of buttered paper parchment on top of the pudding, then secure the surface with foil - tie this with string. Steam in a covered saucepan, so boiling water comes ²/3 of the way up the sides of the pudding, for 1 ¹/4 to1 ¹/2 hours. Run a knife around the edges of the cooked pudding, place a plate on top and invert it.