Despite living in the intense heat the Victorians who had settled in India were still partial to a traditional British pudding after their meal. Books like The Indian Cookery Book by a Thirty-Five Years Resident (c.1880) contain recipes like Marmalade Pudding and Bombay Pudding which wouldn’t seem out of place on a dinner table in central London during the 19th century. Long before carrot cake, Victorian food writers like Georgiana Hill were turning carrots into puddings (Everybody’s Pudding Book, 1862).
Carrot Pudding
Ingredients (Serves 8)
75g soft unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup or ginger syrup
2 large eggs
175g self raising flour
1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
½ ground coriander
¼ ground ginger
½ tsp baking powder
175ml coconut milk
200g-250g carrot, peeled & finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 180℃. Butter 8 individual pudding basins.
Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup together. Add the eggs one at a time then beat thoroughly.
Mix the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarb together. Sieve into the bowl then beat into the sugar and butter adding the coconut milk slowly to form a smooth mixture.
Fold in the grated carrot. Divide between the prepared pudding basins. Bake for 25 minutes until firm and springy. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before turning out.
Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
150g granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
40g unsalted butter, cubed
150ml double cream
Pinch Salt
Method
Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over a moderate heat until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat and continue to cook until the sugar turns to a rich golden colour. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter. Finally add the double cream & salt.
Buttermilk Ice Cream
Ingredients
300ml buttermilk
100ml whipping cream
50g icing sugar
10g liquid glucose
Method
Beat all the ingredients together then churn in ice cream machine until frozen. Transfer to container and freeze until required.