Instructions

To Make the Custard

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a jug or mixing bowl, preferably with a pouring spout.

To Assemble the Pudding

1. Butter an oven-proof dish which will fit the hot cross buns snugly. For this recipe, I have used a dish with a capacity of 1 litre/4 cups.
2. Slice each hot cross bun horizontally into 3 slices.
3. Spread some butter and marmalade or jam onto each slice, but leave the top of the buns untouched.
4. Place the bottom layer of buns into the baking dish.
5. Pour over one-third of the custard.
6. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
7. Add the middle layer of buns.
8. Pour over another one-third of the custard.
9. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
10. Add the top of the buns.
11. Pour the remaining custard all over the buns. Depending on the size of your baking dish, you may not need all of the custard. Leave at least 2 cm from the rim of the dish as the custard will rise a bit during baking.
12. Sprinkle the buns generously with demerera sugar.

To Bake the Pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.
2. Place a metal baking tray on the middle shelf.
3. Bake the pudding for about 1 hour, or until the custard is just set.
4. Check the pudding at about 30-45 minutes. If the pudding is browning too much, cover the pudding loosely with some foil for the rest of the baking time.
5. Allow the pudding to rest for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.
6. Decorate with fresh raspberries before serving.