Maltesers Christmas pudding recipe

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Our Maltesers Christmas pudding serves 12 and is the perfect Christmas dessert for sharing

Maltesers Christmas pudding
(Image credit: Future)
Serves12
SkillEasy
Preparation Time15 mins plus decorating
Cooking Time50 mins
Total Time1 hours 5 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories401 Kcal20%
Sugar36.1 g40%
Fat20.6 g29%
Saturated Fat12.2 g61%
Salt0.45 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Protein6.3 g13%
Carbohydrates47.4 g18%
Salt0.45 gRow 7 - Cell 2

This Maltesers Christmas pudding takes 45 minutes to bake and is an easy, delicious dessert the whole family will devour. 

It’s a great alternative to a classic Christmas pudding if you prefer something more chocolate-based. We’ve used shop-bought chocolate buttercream but you could easily make your own if you prefer. 

Ingredients

  • 125g self-raising flour
  • 125g golden caster sugar
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 40g cocoa
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 6 tbsp chocolate buttercream
  • 300g Maltesers
  • 100g white chocolate, melted
  • 5 glacé cherries
  • 1 tsp edible red glitter
  • 1 bay leaf

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease and line a large pudding basin with baking paper.
  2. Tip the flour, sugar, butter, cocoa, baking powder and eggs into a bowl and mix for 5 mins, until light and smooth.
  3. Spoon into a lined pudding basin and bake for 45 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool.
  4. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and let it cool completely.
  5. Cover with buttercream. Decorate with Maltesers and drizzle over the melted chocolate.
  6. Toss the cherries in glitter, put on top of the cake and garnish with the bay leaf, if using.

Watch how to make a Maltesers Christmas pudding

Top tips for making this Maltesers Christmas pudding

For some added theatre, you could add a couple of cake sparklers to the top before bringing the pudding to the table. This will replicate the flaming of a classic Christmas pud.

Can I use holly leaves to decorate a Christmas pudding?

We do not recommend that you use holly leaves as decoration as they are not edible. They are spiky, unappetising, and can be painful to manoeuvre on and off the cake!

Plus, the berries can be toxic so it's best not to use them to decorate food. The bay leaf we've used here should not be eaten, but is not toxic so it's fine to touch food. You could use green sweets, chocolate, or icing to decorate if you prefer. 

How can I make my own buttercream for this recipe?

Melt 50g of milk chocolate in the microwave, or in a bain marie on the hob. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Mash 100g butter then use an electric whisk to mix it with 200g icing sugar and 3 tbsp cocoa powder. Add in the melted chocolate. If the mixture is too claggy, add a tbsp of milk to loosen it.

How long will the Maltesers Christmas pudding keep?

You should store leftovers in an airtight container or cake tin and eat within two days.

How to make chocolate orange Maltesers Christmas pudding?

If you enjoy the flavour of chocolate orange, add some orange zest to the cake batter when you mix in flour, sugar, butter, cocoa, baking powder, and eggs. You could also decorate it with some extra orange zest. 

For the best results when decorating a cake, it’s worth investing in the appropriate tools. A turntable and set of spatulas and smoothers will help you achieve perfect icing results.

Cake Decorating Kits Supplies - View at Amazon

Cake Decorating Kits Supplies - <a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Turntable-Rotating-Decorating-Supplies-Smoother/dp/B091F25S9B/ref=sr_1_7?crid=38OMDCI7Q4GPY&keywords=icing%2Bsmoother&qid=1701185521&sprefix=icing%2Bsmoother%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-7&th=1&tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View at Amazon

This set comes with an anti-slip turntable, four icing smoother, and two spatulas. Food writer Jessica Ransom says: ‘A step spatula is one of my most used pieces of baking kit. Not only is it great for smoothing icing, it's also useful for lifting and transporting your baked goods.’ 

If you need some more dessert inspiration, check out our figgy pudding or this plum pudding. We also have a vegan Christmas pudding if you need something plant-based. 

Jessica Ransom
Senior Food Writer

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.