Diplomat pudding is a cold dessert prepared in a mold. There are two methods of preparation. The more common method uses ladyfingers soaked in rum or Kirschwasser flavored syrup, layered with candied fruit, apricot jam, and an egg custard or Bavarian Cream. This is then refrigerated, then later removed from the mold and coated with a fruit sauce or custard cream.
In the second method of preparation, the ladyfingers are replaced with stale brioche soaked in milk, and the entire pudding is cooked in a bain-marie before the refrigeration process.
The recipe appears to have become popular in the mid-20th century in Cuba and Puerto Rico, where it was preserved in a simpler form with white bread soaked in milk or coconut milk with eggs and sugar, which is then mixed with canned fruit cocktail and baked, to make a sweet, fruity bread pudding.