- 1tsp butter 60g caster sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1/2tsp Chinese 5-spice powder 5 South African plums 2 large eggs 80g plain flour
- Pinch of salt 200ml milk 200ml single cream 1/2tsp vanilla extract 2tbsp brandy 20g flaked almonds, plus a few extra Icing sugar, for sprinkling

Reuben Riffel
6th February 2020
South African plum and almond pudding with brandy cream
75 min
Serves 5.
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
This South African plum batter pudding is easy to make and tastes divine.
Cook’s tip: Another time, make this recipe with halved and pitted South African peaches or nectarines.
Ingredients
Brandy cream
- 100ml double cream 1tbsp caster sugar 1/4tsp vanilla extract 2tbsp brandy
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Use the butter to grease a 1 litre baking dish.
2. Heat 300ml water in a saucepan with half the caster sugar (30g), the cinnamon stick and 5-spice powder. When the sugar has dissolved add the plums and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, use a whisk to beat together the eggs, flour, salt, milk, single cream, vanilla extract and brandy. Add the remaining 30g sugar. Allow a few minutes for the sugar to dissolve. Stir in the almonds.
4. Use a draining spoon to transfer the plums from the cooking liquid to the baking dish. Pour in the batter and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whip the cream in a chilled bowl until it holds its shape, then whisk in the sugar, brandy and vanilla extract. Serve the plum pudding sprinkled with icing sugar and a few extra almonds, accompanied by the brandy cream.
In this industry, we look out for each other. That’s what being a chef is all about - shared graft, shared passion, shared success. And for the past 17 years, The Staff Canteen has been your space to connect, to learn, to be inspired - a tribe built by chefs, for chefs.
• 5,000+ recipes to sharpen your skills.
• 2,000+ videos to fuel your creativity.
• 1,000+ features sharing the real stories of this industry.
• Daily industry news as it happens.
• Hospitality’s largest social media platform - connecting over 560,000 followers worldwide.
We know times are tough, and every kitchen’s feeling it. But if we stand together, we’ll get through it - and we’ll come out stronger.
Think of it as buying the community a coffee - just £3 to keep us going.
Your support keeps this space free, independent, and dedicated entirely to you and your industry. Together, we can keep inspiring chefs everywhere.
Chip in £3, drive us forward, and keep the community strong. Thank you.
We’re in this together. And together, we move forward.