Traditional Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding with Custard vs Maritozzi con la Panna (Sweet Buns with Cream)

Both desserts draw on sugar, milk, butter and eggs, but put them to very different work. The treacle sponge creams butter and sugar into an egg-rich batter that is steamed into a soft pudding beneath a sticky layer of golden treacle, while egg yolks, milk and cornflour become a warm vanilla custard served alongside. The maritozzi instead use milk, egg and butter to enrich a yeasted, orange-scented dough baked into golden buns, saving the yolk for a glaze and splitting the cooled buns for a generous filling of cold whipped cream.