Its probably a few years ago now that I first saw this recipe on one of my favourite cooking shows here in Australia, Food Safari. Each week they feature the cuisine from a particular country but the food is being cooked right here in Australian family’s homes or that cuisine’s restaurants here in Australia. Its such a wonderful insight into so many different cuisines that use the same ingredients we have access to but how they can create such wonderful dishes such as this Maltese ‘puddina’. Its nearly like a fruit cake but made purely with stale bread and lots of dried fruit thrown in together with eggs and that’s about it.

I had 6 hot dog rolls that were on the dry side and I just ripped them up, soaked them in water, squeezed the moisture out and mixed in the other ingredients. It only needs 2 eggs so you don’t need to use a lot of eggs like some bread and butter puddings. My son and I have enjoyed this heated with ice cream nearly every night this week. I only used sultanas and chocolate chips in mine but its one of those recipes you could just open the pantry and throw in whatever you have. I’ll repeat the recipe as it first appeared but with my changes. If you like bread and butter pudding, you’ll love this and you may never go back. A perfect winter dessert or summer fruit cake served cold and a great way to use up leftover bread.

Bread Pudding Cake
(based on Puddina from SBS “Food Safari“)

• 1 day-old loaf of bread (I used 4 hot dog rolls)
• 370 g (1 ⅔ cup) sugar 
• 2 tbsp custard powder 
• 2 tbsp cornflour 
• 35 g (⅓ cup) cocoa 
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 500 g mixed dried fruit such as sultanas, raisins, currants and chopped peel (I used 1 cup sultanas)
• 250 g almonds (I left out but added 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
• 250 g glacé cherries, halved (I left out)
• vanilla extract 
• 80 ml whisky, brandy or sherry (I left out)

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and soak in cold water for 15 minutes until soft.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
3. Tip the bread into a colander and squeeze out the excess water using a potato masher. 
4. Place the bread in a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, custard powder, cornflour and cocoa. 
5. Add the eggs and mix well. 
6. Add the dried fruit, half the almonds and half the glacé cherries. 
7. Add vanilla to taste and the whisky, brandy or sherry. Pour into a baking dish (or cake tin) and decorate the top with the remaining almonds and cherries. 
8. Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. 
9. Serve in slices, warm or at room temperature.