Wet Nelly
A rich, moist Liverpool spiced pudding made from soaked bread, cake crumbs, and plump dried fruit laced with golden syrup.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •20cm square baking dish
- •large mixing bowl
- •wooden spoon
- •greaseproof paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 10 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your fan oven to 160°C and grease a 20cm square baking dish with butter.
- 2
Place the torn bread and cake crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
- 3
Pour the warm milk over the bread and cake, then leave to soak for 15 minutes.
- 4
Mash the soaked mixture thoroughly with a wooden spoon until thick and pulpy.
- 5
Stir in the mixed dried fruit, brown sugar, mixed spice, and lemon zest.
- 6
Add the melted butter, beaten egg, and three tablespoons of golden syrup to the bowl.
- 7
Beat everything together until the mixture is evenly combined and glossy.
- 8
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top evenly.
- 9
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of golden syrup over the surface.
- 10
Bake for 50 minutes until firm to the touch and deep golden brown.
- 11
Leave to stand for 10 minutes before slicing into warm squares.
Chef's tips
For the best texture, ensure the bread and cake are completely saturated before mixing in the spices and egg. If using only bread without leftover cake, add an extra tablespoon of sugar and a drop of vanilla extract.
Ingredient substitutions
- stale plain sponge cake → additional stale white bread with 25g extra sugar
- golden syrup → black treacle for a deeper, darker flavour
Storage
Store cooled squares in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat individual slices in a microwave for 30 seconds or in a warm oven at 150°C for 10 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the soaking time, which leaves dry, hard lumps of bread in the pudding.
- •Baking at too high a temperature, which burns the top before the centre sets.
- •Slicing immediately out of the oven before it has rested, causing it to fall apart.
Serving suggestions
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