The Kombuis
Hot Cross Bun Pudding
here's more than one way to enjoy hot cross buns. Turn them into this decadent bread-and-butter style pudding with dark chocolate and orange. Perfect for Easter.
Hot cross buns on Good Friday is serious business in South Africa. Every bakery, every Checkers, every school tuck shop. This pudding takes that Easter tradition one step further, transforming leftover buns into something your ouma would have been proud of. Ina Paarman's version (via Ilse van der Merwe) is the one South Africans trust. Hot cross buns are seasonal at Spinneys and Carrefour around Easter, so grab extra when you spot them.
Ingredients
- 500 ml fresh cream
- 250 ml milk
- 80 ml caster sugar
- 6 extra-large eggs
- 15 ml orange rind, finely grated (1 fresh orange)
- 5 ml ground mixed spice (sub: ½ tsp ground cinnamon + ¼ tsp ground nutmeg + ¼ tsp ground cloves)
- 6-8 hot cross buns, available at Spinneys and Carrefour around Easter
- 100 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (Lindt 70% works well)
Method
- Whisk together the cream, milk, sugar, eggs, orange rind and mixed spice until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cut each hot cross bun in half horizontally.
- Arrange the bottom halves snugly in a medium deep baking dish.
- Pour half the custard over the bun bottoms until just covered, then scatter over half the chocolate.
- Place the bun tops over the bottom layer, pressing down gently.
- Pour the remaining custard over until the dish is almost full. Wait for the buns to absorb some, then top up.
- Scatter the remaining chocolate over the top.
- Leave to soak for 30-60 minutes.
- Bake at 160°C for 55-60 minutes until golden on top with a slight wobble in the middle.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.