Chocolate self-saucing pudding is a classic dessert that’s rich, comforting and perfect when you’re entertaining guests or feeling indulgent. One of the best things about this pudding is that it’s relatively simple to make – the sauce is created as it cooks, after all. And with this recipe, the result is a rich and gooey chocolate self-saucing pudding that could easily become your go-to luxurious dessert.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 1.5 litre (6-cup) ovenproof dish and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper or foil (this will catch any drips).
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Add the sugar and stir to break up any lumps.
Whisk together the milk, egg and butter in a jug. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients; use a whisk to stir to a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared dish and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
To make sauce: sift the cocoa powder into a bowl; add the sugar and stir to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the surface of the batter.
Pour the boiling water evenly over the cocoa and sugar mixture in the dish. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake topping is firm. Serve with cream or ice-cream.
We used a 1.5-litre (6-cup) capacity round ovenproof dish, 17cm across and 8cm deep. If a wider, shallower dish is used, the cooking time should be reduced by five to 10 minutes.
Note
Why is it called self saucing pudding?
Self saucing pudding gets its name because it creates its own sauce as it cooks. The key to creating the sauce is how the mixtures are layered. This chocolate self-saucing recipe is a great example: you have the main batter, then create the sauce by sprinkling cocoa and sugar on top, then pouring the boiling water over it. The way these layers react when cooked results in a beautiful, pudding with a saucy, gooey centre.
What is the difference between chocolate pudding and chocolate custard?
In simple terms, a classic chocolate pudding is typically made with a batter that includes flour, eggs, cocoa and other ingredients (like this self-saucing one) and a classic chocolate custard wouldn’t include flour and uses eggs as the base to form a smooth, silky dessert like this baked chocolate custard recipe.
