Late 1800s Boiled Pudding.
Using Up Stale Gluten Free Cake.
Have you ever had leftover cake in the back of the fridge that’s past its prime? Do not throw it out! This cabinet pudding recipe uses stale cake for a novel boiled pudding. Easy to make and delicious. The pudding comes out dense, the same consistency throughout, and not too sweet. The raisins are a must-add, but any other dried fruit will probably work.
Cabinet Pudding Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 min.
Yield: 8 servings
Updated Ingredients:
- 6 stale cupcakes, or equivalent. Remove the frosting
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups of milk
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- Grated lemon rind of 1 lemon if using a yellow cake or bread
- 1/3 cup raisins
Step 1: Place the cupcakes in a mixing bowl. I used gluten free cupcakes.

Step 2: Use a fork to break up the cupcakes (or mixer). Do not worry about making the crumbs the same size, they will break down further when cooking.

Step 3: Mix the eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Layer the raisins and crumbs in your baking dish. I used small loaf pans.
Step 5: Carefully pour the egg and milk mixture into the baking dish, filling it to just below the top. Let sit for 15 min.

Step 6: While the pudding is sitting, bring 1-2 inches of water to a gentle boil in a large pot. Make sure there are at least 2 inches of headspace between the top of your baking dish and the top of the lid when covered. The pudding will puff up while cooking, and then fall back down when cool.
Step 7. Place the pudding into the pot. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 60 minutes.
Step 8. Carefully remove the puddings from the water and let cool completely before turning out to serve.

Source: Mrs. Rorer’s Cookbook, 1886.
More Fun Discoveries from Antique Cookbooks
Thanks for a great idea. I would never have thought of using up old cake–maybe because I tend to nibble on leftover dessert until it’s gone…
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🙂 Yes, this does tend to happen! I was thinking about all of the stale cake in the office fridge.
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Seems to be a common problem in the world… huh…
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That looks awesome! I love bread pudding. This certainly could be a top contender! One issue I have is never having any leftover cake or cupcakes! Between my husband with a big sweet tooth and kids and grandkids there is never a crumb left! I will just have to set some aside, hidden in the refrigerator, so that I can give this recipe a go! I think I would love it!
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It was absolutely one of my favorite bread puddings ever. Probably because it was a bit sweeter than the average bread pudding thanks to using cake instead of the bread. You could probably make it with ANY kind of stale pastry… IF you have some lying around. LOL! Cheers!
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Looks delicious! I have some chocolate/raspberry cake that is probably not going to be consumed, so I may just try this!
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Let me know if you do! Or stick in the freezer and keep adding to it for later. It seems like such a common sense way to use up the odd bits. Cabinet pudding, indeed!
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I put it in the freezer, there ended up being not enough to “cabinet” it, but too much to be left hanging around for temptation! I will keep you informed…
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