This recipe is a very particular and nostalgic self-saucing steamed chocolate pudding, where the batter and sauce "magically" separate during steaming. That extra-liquid top layer creates a fudgy, pudding-like sauce underneath the sponge. I did have some issues with too much liquid even after it had steamed for 50 minutes, but I was able to quick-fix it. It wasn't a pretty pudding by any stretch, but it was perfectly moist and not too sweet. My family loved it!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (for creaming)
2 large eggs
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Grease a 1.5 to 2-quart pudding basin or heatproof bowl. Set it inside a larger roasting pan or deep baking tray (for the water bath). Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour and cocoa powder. (See red bowl in first picture.)
Layer the mixture in the pudding basin: first add creamed mixture to the bottom of the basin. Without mixing further, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the creamed mixture.
Gently pour the milk and coffee over the flour/cocoa. Do not stir it in. The mixture will look very liquidy and odd, but that's part of the magic.
Loosely cover the dish with foil (to prevent over-browning). Place the dish inside the roasting pan and pour hot water into the outer pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the pudding dish.
Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 50 to 65 minutes, depending on your dish’s depth. The top should be springy and set. MY FAIL: at 50 minutes, when I checked the pudding, it was way too liquidy, so I drained the liquid by tilting the basin slightly over the sink and returned it to the oven for another ten minutes. This did the trick!
Let sit for 5–10 minutes then turn over onto a plate and serve. As you can see, it wasn't the prettiest looking pudding, but after it's sliced and topped with whipped cream, no one was the wiser.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (for creaming)
2 large eggs
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Grease a 1.5 to 2-quart pudding basin or heatproof bowl. Set it inside a larger roasting pan or deep baking tray (for the water bath). Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour and cocoa powder. (See red bowl in first picture.)
Layer the mixture in the pudding basin: first add creamed mixture to the bottom of the basin. Without mixing further, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the creamed mixture.
Gently pour the milk and coffee over the flour/cocoa. Do not stir it in. The mixture will look very liquidy and odd, but that's part of the magic.
Loosely cover the dish with foil (to prevent over-browning). Place the dish inside the roasting pan and pour hot water into the outer pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the pudding dish.
Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 50 to 65 minutes, depending on your dish’s depth. The top should be springy and set. MY FAIL: at 50 minutes, when I checked the pudding, it was way too liquidy, so I drained the liquid by tilting the basin slightly over the sink and returned it to the oven for another ten minutes. This did the trick!
Let sit for 5–10 minutes then turn over onto a plate and serve. As you can see, it wasn't the prettiest looking pudding, but after it's sliced and topped with whipped cream, no one was the wiser.