Fruit & nut Christmas pudding loaf

Fruit & nut Christmas pudding loaf

The loaf shape makes this pud easy to slice and serve, and it takes less time to cook than a steamed one

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 10 mins

plus overnight soaking
Freezable

Method

  1. Put the dried fruit, cherries, apple, zests, apple juice, brandy and Cointreau in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.
  2. Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler, then stir in the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, syrup, spices, salt, soaked fruit and the nuts. Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scrunch the foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin's edges. Sit it in the roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.
  4. After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again.
  5. To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium. For the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like.
Try

For a traditional pudding

Butter a 2-litre pudding basin (or 2 x 1-litre basins) and line the base with a circle of baking paper. Fill with the pudding mixture, then cover with a large sheet of pleated baking paper and foil and tie with string. Place the basin in a large saucepan, fill with boiling water to half way up the sides, then cover and steam for 3 hours, checking the water level occasionally.

Prepare ahead

The pudding can be frozen up to 8 weeks before Christmas, or can be made up to 4 weeks before the big day and kept in the fridge as it matures.

722 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 94g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 4g, sugar 75g, salt 1.22 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2009.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Gina

    02 December 2009

    Gina commented on this recipe

    This is now made and in the fridge to mature. Very easy to put together, you just need to make sure you have everything, because once you start, you can't stop. Smells good, and baking instructions were fine, felt quite soft after the final 1.5 hours, but obviously set on cooling. Looks good, and I'm looking forward to it. I might try cooking it another time as individual muffin type puds. I just have to work out the baking time.

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  • Binder photo Jan

    07 December 2009

    Jan commented on this recipe

    My loaf is in the oven, once it is cooked do I tip it out of the loaf tin or leave it in the loaf tin in the fridge? As you can tell I dont cook very often.

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  • Binder photo Gina

    16 December 2009

    Gina commented on this recipe

    Hi, I have left mine in the tin in the fridge, and I intend to put a little whisky or rum on it over the next week. (Sorry if this is too late - I don't get back to this page very often!). I'll be taking the pud elsewhere to cook on the day, so will take the topping mix in a jar and the chopped nuts and cherries in another. The hosts can provide the cooking brandy!. Have a good time.

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  • Binder photo gillysfood

    24 December 2009

    gillysfood rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo kegsy

    02 January 2010

    kegsy rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Gina

    08 January 2010

    Gina rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Caroline

    22 November 2010

    Caroline rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this for a pre-Xmas buffet mid Dec last year - it was such a success that I quickly made another to mature for Xmas day. Will be doing again this year as is fabulous to make in advance.

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  • Binder photo Schlogoat

    28 November 2010

    Schlogoat commented on this recipe

    I've just made this. I made it in a basin and steamed for 3 hours...seemed a bit gooey still (kept water topped up enough) so I steamed it a bit longer. Its still soft but I am trusting that once its cooled, chilled and matured, come Xmas Day after re-steaming it will be just right. Perhaps its meant to be 'gooier' than a traditional Christmas pudding?

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  • Binder photo Jenni

    18 January 2011

    Jenni commented on this recipe

    I made this for christmas 2010, and it was yummy. Very easy to put to together. I made mine 3 weeks before D day and left it wrapped in tin foil in the fridge to mature. On the day put it in the oven still wrapped in the tin foil and slowly heated it up while having our mains. Everyone enjoyed and commented on it. The sauce is yummy too with the toasted nuts. In future I wont bother with trying any other. I'll stick to this one. Delicious

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  • Binder photo M James

    03 September 2011

    M James commented on this recipe

    I've made this pudding 2 years running and will be making it again this year. It tasted great. The whole family enjoyed it and it was so easy to slice and serve, making it look much more edible in the dish!

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  • Binder photo alice

    15 October 2011

    alice commented on this recipe

    I made this last Christmas and the family went mad for it! Will be doing it again this year. Make sure it gets to cook right through or can be a bit doughy.

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  • Binder photo alice

    15 October 2011

    alice rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo cakequeen75

    19 November 2011

    cakequeen75 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this last year and it came out beautifully, all the festive flavours, rich but not overpowering or heavy, it was a huge success and Im getting ready to make another two tomorrow on Stir up Sunday as my festive cooking and preparation begins.

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  • Binder photo neden

    27 December 2011

    neden rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    really lovely cake everyone enjoyed it and asked for more. however i think i should have left it to cool down a bit before serving straight from the oven as when it came to cutting it, it collapsed slightly but looked amazing!!! especially with the sauce - very festive and didnt even use the alcohol. soooo full of flavour!

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  • Binder photo clairell

    29 December 2011

    clairell rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    this was lovely, tasted like xmas pud but not as heavy. It was too big for our needs so next year I will try halving the quantities and baking in a smaller loaf tin.

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  • Binder photo DJW

    13 February 2012

    DJW rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Loved it although only 2 of us made it about 10 days before the big day and cut it in half, kept half in fridge and the other half sliced into portions and is in the freezer - just needs a quick blast in the microwave. Will definately make again.

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  • Binder photo Jenni

    22 November 2012

    Jenni commented on this recipe

    this is an excellent xmas pudd, very easy to make, looks and tastes good, ......will be making this 3rd year running

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  • Binder photo traceyverde

    22 December 2012

    traceyverde commented on this recipe

    after cooking mine was stil quite doughy and when i tried to take it out the tin it almost collapsed. i have put it back in the oven for a bit. any suggestions? i want to serve it cold sliced on boxing day?

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  • Binder photo puffysaurus

    25 December 2012

    puffysaurus rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I halved the recipe & made a smaller pudding, I swapped the cherries & dried fruit for dried cranberries, orange & apricots. I also put in extra brandy! It was superb! Really please how it turn on.

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  • Binder photo Lyndsey

    13 January 2013

    Lyndsey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This pudding was the best and so easy, the family loved even my grandson of 16 months asked for more will definitely make it again

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 10 mins

plus overnight soaking
Freezable

Ingredients

  • 400g dried mixed fruits
  • 85g glacé cherries
  • 1 Bramley apple , about 175g, grated, plus zest 1 orange and 1 lemon
  • 150ml good apple juice
  • 2 tbsp brandy
  • 2 tbsp Cointreau (or use more brandy)
  • 140g butter , plus extra for greasing
  • 100g dark muscovado sugar
  • 2 large eggs , beaten
  • 85g self-raising flour
  • 100g white breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 25g toasted hazelnuts , pecan nuts and blanched almonds, roughly chopped

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 50g butter
  • 50g dark muscovado sugar
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp brandy
  • 25g each toasted hazelnuts, pecan nuts, blanched almonds and glacé cherries , left whole
  • icing sugar , for dusting (optional)
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722 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 94g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 4g, sugar 75g, salt 1.22 g

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