Frozen pound cake is fine for the summer pudding (homemade is better, of course, though not one in ten people will know the difference), but fresh berries are essential.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the berries, then combine in a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, just until the berries soften and yield their liquid, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cut the pound cake into roughly 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a rounded bowl with just over half the slices of the pound cake to a depth of about 4 inches; pack the slices so they leave no (significant) gaps. When the berries are cool, strain them, reserving the liquid. Spoon the solids on top of the pound cake and drizzle with about half the liquid.
Step 3
Cover with the remaining slices of pound cake, again packing them close together. Drizzle with all but a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid (refrigerate the rest).
Step 4
Find a plate that will just fit in the bowl and press it down on top of the pudding. Weight it with a few cans (or whatever you can find that will do the trick) and refrigerate overnight.
Step 5
To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pudding and invert onto a plate. Cut slices and serve with cream.
