Malteser Christmas pudding cake
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A Malteser Christmas pudding cake is the kind of festive showstopper that makes everyone smile before you’ve even sliced it. Rich chocolate sponge, creamy frosting, and a generous topping of Maltesers come together to create a playful twist on the classic Christmas pudding — fun, chocolatey, and guaranteed to be the star of your holiday table. Shaped just like a traditional pudding, it looks far more impressive than the effort involved, and making it is half the joy.
You might even find yourself chasing a few runaway Maltesers as they try to roll away, but that’s all part of the festive fun.
Serving Suggestions for Malteser Christmas Pudding Cake
- Vanilla Ice Cream — cold, creamy, and perfect against the rich chocolate‑malt flavour.
- Warm Chocolate Sauce — a glossy drizzle that echoes the Maltesers without overwhelming the cake.
- Whipped Cream — lightly sweetened, with a sprinkle of cocoa or crushed Maltesers.
- Crème Fraîche — tangy and elegant; a great contrast to the sweetness.
- Salted Caramel Sauce — adds warmth and festive indulgence.
- Fresh Berries — raspberries or strawberries cut through the richness and add colour.
- Berry Compote — warm or chilled; a lovely fruity contrast to the chocolate.
- Custard — a nostalgic, cosy pairing that works surprisingly well with malt flavours.
- Crushed Maltesers — sprinkled over each slice for extra crunch.
- Hot Drinks — hot chocolate, mocha, or a spiced chai latte for a festive finish
Malteser christmas pudding cake
Ingredients
- 225 g caster sugar
- 225 g margarine
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
Chocolate buttercream
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened (Top Tip: leave out of the fridge for a few hours to get to room temperature)
- 200 g icing sugar
- 100 g dark chocolate, melted
Topping
- 350 g maltesers
- 100 white chocolate, melted
- holly leaves to decorate
Instructions
For the sponge
- Preheat the oven to 180°c/Gas 4. Grease an 8×4" dome cake tin with margarine and a light dusting of flour and set aside.
- Beat together the margarine and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. In another bowl add the flour and baking powder.
- Add a ¼ of the eggs to the butter and stir in, then fold in ¼ of the flour and stir until combined and then repeat until all the eggs and flour are mixed together and smooth.
- Stir in the sifted cocoa powder and mix until all combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for approx 50mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Adding the chocolate buttercream
- Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot simmering water and allow to cool slightly.
- Beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth, then add the melted chocolate.
- Spread generously over the whole cake, you may have some left over.
Topping
- Gently melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering hot water and allow to cool, but not resetting.
- Find the centre of the cake, add a malteser and then create a line of maltesers from side to side, then working outwards, place the maltesers over the cake. If any fall off, put a tiny dab of butter cream on the malteser and press it into the cake.
- Pour the white chocolate over the top of the cake, letting it naturally fall down the side. Place the holly decoration on top. When ready, slice and share around.