Raspberry jam steamed sponge and custard

Method

• step 1

  Butter a 1-litre pudding basin. Cream the butter in a bowl using electric beaters until pale. Add the muscovado sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, then beat in the black treacle. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a large spoonful of the flour with the final egg. Fold in the remaining flour. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover with a pleated sheet of foil and tie with string.

• step 2

  Heat 5cm of water in the bottom of a large pan, with an upturned plate in the bottom to act as a trivet, stopping the pudding from touching the bottom of the pan. Add the pudding, cover and steam gently for 2 hours.

• step 3

  Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the raspberries in a baking dish and the sugar in another. Bake both for 30 minutes and then combine in a heatproof bowl, stirring well. This will make instant jam. Cool.

• step 4

  Cut open the ¹/2 vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Add them to a pan with the milk and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and infuse for 20 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Bring the milk back to just under the boil and beat into the egg yolk mixture. Return to the pan and stir constantly until the custard thickens, but don’t let the mixture boil.

• step 5

  To serve, run a knife around the edge of the basin. Cover the top with a plate and flip over. Pour over some jam, cut into wedges and serve with the custard and extra jam.