Eve’s pudding is the easiest and most delicious apple dessert ever! This amazing dessert is more than 200 years old. A layer of fluffy sponge cake sits on top of warmly spiced apple filling. Eve’s pudding is the perfect cozy dessert, especially with a scoop of ice cream, and the leftovers are perfect for breakfast the next day! Best of all, this recipe is made with simple ingredients and no special tools.
Why I Love Eve’s Pudding
Flavor: The soft apples mixed with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg make for the coziest treat. The apples are very lightly sweetened, which pairs perfectly with the buttery cake layer on top.
Texture: The combination of the soft and gooey apple and fluffy cake/biscuit layer on top is a match made in heaven! Add a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to elevate this simple dessert even more.
Easy to make: Compared to traditional apple pies, which require working with pie dough, Eve’s Pudding is a breeze to make! All you’ll need are some simple ingredients, 2 bowls, and an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. This recipe is perfect if you need a quick and easy dessert.
What is Eve’s Pudding?
Eve’s Pudding is a traditional English dessert consisting of soft stewed apple filling underneath a fluffy Victoria sponge cake layer. It’s similar to a cobbler, but the topping is softer and fluffier. This recipe makes a topping with a texture that is fluffy like a cake and buttery like a biscuit. The apple layer is similar to the apple filling in an American apple pie, but less sweet.
The History Behind Eve’s Pudding
Eve’s Pudding originated in England around 200 years ago and was a favorite in England and the Colonies. Charles Dickens, the author of A Christmas Carole, even wrote about it! Apparently, the topping on Eve’s Pudding used to be made with breadcrumbs from stale leftover bread. Nowadays, the topping is more of a cake batter. I would say that’s a definite improvement, although I’ve never tried the breadcrumb version!
The Best Apples to Use for Eve’s Pudding
For best results, use firm baking apples that hold up well to cooking. Otherwise, the filling may get too mushy. I recommend Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or Braeburn. I like mixing Granny Smith with other apple varieties to balance out its tartness.
Key Ingredients in Eve’s Pudding
- Baking Apples (see note above for apple recommendations)
- Spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg): Add as much or as little to taste.
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- Egg (room temperature)
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is the main source of leavening in this recipe. If you are having trouble with a dense or heavy cake, double check that your baking powder isn’t expired!
- Salt: Salt may not seem important, but it really brings out the flavors of the other ingredients!
Tips and Techniques for Making Eve’s Pudding
- Keep the apple slices thick: To prevent the apples from getting too mushy in the filling, I recommend slicing them into 1/2 inch thick slices. This may seem too thick, but they’ll cook down a lot!
- Don’t overcook the apples: Another way to prevent the filling from getting too mushy is to only cook them until their slightly softened on the stove. You don’t want to cook them until they’re perfectly tender on the stove because then they will over cook in the oven.
- Experiment with spices: This filling is lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. If you love these spices, definitely add more to the filling. You can also try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the cake batter. If you don’t like spices, feel free to leave them out completely!
- Use room temperature ingredients: For the fluffiest cake topping and easy mixing, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before starting. If needed, you can quickly run warm water over the egg to bring it up to room temperature.
- Don’t over mix the batter: For the lightest and most tender cake layer, make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing can cause too much gluten formation and lead to a tough or dense result.
- Use the broiler: If the cake still looks a little pale, but an inserted toothpick comes out clean, feel free to turn on the broiler and broil the cake for 1-2 minutes. This will give the top a beautiful golden color. Just make sure to keep an eye on the time because the topping can go from pale to burnt in a blink!
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations of Eve’s Pudding
- Change up the fruit filling: Instead of apples, try using pears or peaches!
- Experiment with the spices: This filling is lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. If you love these spices, definitely add more to the filling. You can also try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the cake batter. If you don’t like spices, feel free to leave them out completely!
- Individual Eve’s Puddings: If you prefer to make these in individual servings, try splitting up the apples and cake batter among 4-6 ramekins. Just make sure to bake for less time.
- Sweeten to your liking: This Eve’s Pudding is very lightly sweetened. If you prefer a more decadent dessert, use 4 tablespoons of sugar in the apple filling. If you prefer a more subtle dessert/breakfast, you can use as little as 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar in the filling.
- Add some nuts: For extra crunch and flavor, try adding some chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake batter.
If you liked Eve’s Pudding, you might also like…
- Easy Apple Crumble
- Cozy Apple Bread Pudding
- Airfryer Apple Fritters
- German Streusel Apple Pie
- Blueberry Cobbler
Old Fashioned Eve’s Pudding
Ingredients
For the apple filling:
- 1 1/2 pounds apples (around 4-5 large apples) sliced 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- pinch nutmeg and ginger optional
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1-4 tablespoons sugar more or less to taste
For the cake topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter an 8 inch round or square baking dish.
Make the apple filling:
- Add the sliced apples, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, water, and sugar to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the apples are slightly softened, but not completely tender. Pour into greased baking dish and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
Make the cake topping:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the 2 tablespoons of milk/water and flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Spread the cake batter over the apples in the greased baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick into the cake layer comes out clean. If the top is still too pale, place the Eve's Pudding under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool briefly before enjoying (ice cream or whipped cream highly recommended).
