Apple Sponge Pudding (Self-Saucing)

Sink your spoon into a big bowl of this irresistible self-saucing apple sponge pudding. It features chunks of buttery, caramelised apples nestled in a gorgeously fluffy sponge cake, soaked in a sweet caramel sauce. Top with creamy vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or custard for the ultimate winter dessert!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make – baked from scratch, it’s made with just a handful of simple pantry staples. No beaters, mixers or fancy techniques are required.
• Extra flavourful – caramel and apple unite to make this dreamy apple dessert. The rich and buttery sponge tops a layer of warm cinnamon apples with an easy caramel sauce that seeps down into the cake to add unbelievable flavour and moisture.
• Ultra-comforting – perfect for any time of year. Top it with vanilla custard, whipped cream or your favourite ice cream for the ultimate indulgence.
• Melt-in-your-mouth soft and moist.
• Perfectly sized to feed a family or small crowd.
• Great for any occasion – perfect with a cup of coffee for an afternoon treat, suitable for a dinner party dessert and even better when curled up on the couch with a big scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Granny Smith apples – or use any variety of baking apples! You will need about 5 medium-sized apples for this recipe. Granny Smith apples are perfect because they hold their shape and don’t become mushy when baked. And their tart flavour pairs well with the sweet sponge and caramel sauce. Jonathan or Pink Lady are also great additions. While this recipe calls for fresh apples, you can substitute for canned pie apples or store-bought or homemade stewed apples.

• Self-raising flour – is plain flour that is ready-mixed with an added leavening agent like baking powder. Also called self-rising flour, it is readily available in Australia and commonly used in baking where a rising agent is needed. If you don’t have any self-raising flour, you can make your own by mixing 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of plain flour. 

• Butter – is used to both cook the apples and provide structure and moisture to the cake. For best results, I recommend using real, unsalted butter rather than margarine butter substitutes.

• Buttermilk – is used to make an ultra-moist and flavourful sponge cake. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to every 1 cup of milk.

• Cinnamon – is used to add a warm spiced flavour. Or you can experiment to add other spices like cloves, nutmeg or ground ginger.

• Golden syrup – also known as ‘light treacle’, golden syrup is a thick, amber coloured syrup that tastes like toffee and is commonly used in baking. In this recipe, it gives the caramel sauce its rich, warm flavour.

Step by step guide

For the apple layer;

Most traditional apple sponge puddings (also called Eve’s pudding) use cooking apples that are cooked to a soft/stewed consistency. But I love to use tart Granny Smith or even Pink Lady/Jonathan apples for extra texture and flavour to contrast the sweetness of the caramel.

• The apples are peeled and cut into roughly 1cm sized pieces.
• They are then cooked with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Initially, the butter and sugar will melt together and the apples will release some liquid into the pan.

The apples should be stirred over heat until the sugar caramelises and the excess liquid reduces and mostly disappears.

• Spoon the apples into a round, 23 cm baking dish with at least a 1.4L capacity.

For the sponge layer;

Once the apples are done, it’s time to start on the simple sponge. No beaters or mixers required!

Everything can be mixed together in one bowl. Just make sure that you use room temperature ingredients for best results.

• Whisk the melted butter together with the brown sugar.
• Add the egg, vanilla and buttermilk and whisk again.

• Gently fold in the self-raising flour until just combined.
• Gently spread the sponge batter over the top of the apples.

For the caramel sauce;

Mix the brown sugar and golden syrup together with some boiling water until combined.

Very carefully pour the sauce over the top of the sponge batter, using a metal spoon to slow the flow. Using a spoon rather than pouring the sauce directly on top of the batter helps to keep the batter intact.

Bake for around 25 minutes, or until the top of the sponge is golden and the cake is cooked through. Dust the top of the sponge with icing sugar and serve with any of your preferred toppings.

Tips for success

• Storage: this sponge will keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container and re-heat individual serves in the microwave when you need something cosy and comforting!

• While this recipe uses fresh apples, if you are short on time or don’t have fresh apples on hand, you can use canned or homemade pie filling. Or even swap the fruit! Pear, nectarine or plums make great additions. You can also reduce the apples slightly and add some fresh rhubarb.

• Add a little splash of brandy to the apples, for a little extra warmth.

• You don’t have to peel the apples before stewing them, if you prefer not to. I peel mine because I don’t like the texture of the apple skins in the pudding.

• Push the batter right to the edges of the baking dish, to seal. This way, the sauce sits over the top of the batter and then soaks into the cake while baking.

• Cooking times will vary slightly, as all ovens are different. Start checking the sponge around 25 minutes and be careful not to overcook. The cake is ready when the top is golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

FAQs

Related recipes

Do you need more comforting, warming desserts in your life? You’ve come to the right place!

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or leave a review below and let you know how you went!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest recipes and news.

Are you following us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest?

Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in March 2022.