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Royal London syllabub

Crystal bowl of Royal London syllabub decorated with glace cherries to the right. Two dessert glasses of syllabub to the left. Bottle of Madeira in background. Beige linen tablecloth. For Royal London syllabub recipe.

This rich and delicious syllabub was presumably served in the dining rooms of wealthy Londoners in the eighteenth century, its name suggesting connections with royalty.  The earliest written recipe is in Mrs Radcliffe’s A Modern System of Domestic Cookery, or, The Housekeeper’s Guide of 1822.

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Electric hand whisk
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Glass serving bowl

Preparation method

  • Place the caster sugar in the saucepan with a little water.  
  • Heat until the sugar has dissolved and it starts to bubble.  
  • Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.  
  • Add the Madeira, brandy and nutmeg and whisk in thoroughly.  
  • Place the cream in the large mixing bowl and use the electric hand whisk to whisk until just starting to thicken.  
  • It’s very important that you don’t over-whisk because when you add the alcohol it will thicken the cream further.  If you over-whisk to start with the syllabub is likely to split.  
  • Pour over the sugar and alcohol mixture and carefully fold in.  The alcohol will thicken the syllabub further. 
  • Transfer the syllabub into a glass bowl and chill well.  
  • Before serving decorate the top with the glacé cherries

Note: I tend to prefer to use a hand-held electric whisk when making cakes so the recipes refer to this, but you may prefer to use a stand mixer.  Just use the beater for mixing cake batters and the whisk for egg whites and cream.
More syllabub recipes
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An excellent trifle
Cider syllabub
Trifle
Whipt sillabub

Georgian

Serves:
8
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 120 ml Madeira
  • 50 ml Cognac
  • 600 ml double cream

Garnish

  • Glacé cherries 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Royal London syllabub
Serving Size
 
103 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
394
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
29
g
45
%
Saturated Fat
 
18
g
113
%
Cholesterol
 
78
mg
26
%
Sodium
 
124
mg
5
%
Potassium
 
3.9
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
0.1
g
0
%
Sugar
 
21
g
23
%
Calcium
 
1.3
mg
0
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Cognac, Cream, Madeira

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace