Spotted dick (also known as spotted dog or railway cake) is a traditional British steamed pudding. Historically it was made with suet and dried fruit (usually currants or raisins) and often accompanied by custard.
“Spotted” is a reference to the dried fruit in the pudding (which resemble spots). “Dick” and “dog” were dialectal terms widely used for pudding, from the same etymology as “dough”. The modern equivalent name would be “spotted pudding”.
The dish is first attested in Alexis Soyer’s The modern Housewife or ménagère, published in 1849.
The name has long been a source of amusement and ambiguity. Reportedly restaurant staff in the Houses of Parliament decided to rename it “Spotted Richard” so it was “less likely to cause a stir”.