Treacle Sponge Cake

By JimMac

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons golden syrup (see no treacle)
• Juice of half a lemon (I had a couple of cubes in the freezer from my lemons
• last season)
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
• 125 grams butter at room temperature
• Grated rind of 1 lemon (I didn't add as I couldn't be bothered walking down
• to the lemon tree, it was dark and cold and it's right down the back of our
• 1 acre property)
• 1/2 cup Castor sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self raising flour
• Salt
• 1/4 cup milk, plus extra is needed (I did about another 1/4 cup.
• Custard, cream or ice cream to serve - or all 3 if you want!

Preparation

Step 1

Method

Grease a 5 cup pudding basin (I didn't have one so went "to town" to get one,
I live 20 minutes from decent shopping) and now I have one!

Put the golden syrup, juice and breadcrumbs in there and mix together.

In your mixer add the butter and cream it with the lemon rind, if using, and
gradually add the sugar in and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs
one at a time.

Take bowl from the mixer and then add the sifted flour, salt and milk and
then fold into the creamed mixture . You need a drop batter consistency so
add more milk if need be.

Add the mixture to the pudding pan or bowl and then either cover with doubled
aluminum foil and seal tight.

Put a trivet into the bottom of your pressure cooker with at least 1 1/2 cups
of water. Place the pudding bowl on a folded tea towel length ways. Pick up
the ends of the tea towel, and lift the pudding bowl and carefully place it
onto the trivet and then fold the ends of the towel over the bowl.

Closed the lid of the pressure cooker, and bring it up to low pressure (which
I guessed was the vegetable setting on some pressure cookers) over high heat
and then lower the heat once you reach the correct pressure. Again, in my case
the timer starts automatically once it reaches the pressure.

Cook for 50-55 minutes, checking it to make sure it isn't hissing.

Once the time is complete, release the pressure the natural release method and
then using tongs fold out the cloth that was lying over the bowl, allow to cool
for a couple of minutes and then lift out of the pressure cooker.

Take the foil etc off and you should have a lovely cooked pudding.

Carefully upturn the bowl onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

The sponge was soft and light, the syrup was there but not runny. You can
certainly taste the lemon in it - so this one isn't sugary sweet but you know
it's a pudding.