Grease the pudding basin with butter and place a buttered disc of baking paper in the bottom of the basin. This is to ensure the top of your pudding won’t stick when you turn it out.
Mix the apple, apricots and lemon juice in the small bowl and set aside.
Place the butter and caster sugar in the large mixing bowl and beat with the electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If it looks as though the mixture is curdling add a little of the flour and beat into the mixture.
Add the lemon zest and stir in thoroughly.
Add the flour and fold in until you have a smooth sponge mixture.
Place a layer of the sponge into the bottom of the pudding basin.
Top with some of the fruit mixture.
Place another layer of sponge followed by a layer of fruit and continue layering until the mixtures are used up and ending with a layer of sponge mixture.
Ensure that there is at least 2-3cm between the top of the mixture and the rim of the basin (the pudding expands quite a bit during steaming).
Make a large pleat in a piece of kitchen foil and cover the basin with it, making sure the pleat is placed in the centre of the basin. Secure the foil with string tied round the rim of the basin, ensuring you create a ‘handle’ with which you can remove the pudding from the hot water.
Place the pudding in the large-lidded saucepan and fill with boiling water two thirds up the sides of the pudding basin.
Cover the saucepan and steam for 2 hours making sure you check the level of the water and top up from the kettle if necessary.
Allow to cool slightly before taking the pudding out of the hot water. Remove the covering and turn out onto a serving dish.
