Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding is a classic dessert that everyone should know! One batter magically transforms into a moist chocolate cake with a beautiful chocolate sauce. Quick enough for a midweek treat, and a crowd pleaser for dinner parties.
I started the week off with Cottage Pie, wedged in a Stovetop Mac and Cheese on Wednesday and am finishing off the week with this Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding.
It seems that this week was Comfort Food Week here on RecipeTin Eats and I missed the memo. My own memo. ?
When I was younger, I was so fascinated with self saucing puddings. I always thought they were magical. One batter transforming into a cake that looks so innocent when it comes out of the oven, then when you break into it – boom! Eyes light up at the sight of all that chocolate sauce!!!
I should qualify that statement actually, it’s a little more than one batter. But not much more! All it takes is sprinkling sugar + cocoa on top of the batter and pouring over hot water. This mixture then sinks to the base of the dish as it bakes, passing through the cake making it sooooo moist (I love this thought!), and it reduces down to become a sauce.
You see in the photo above how I am pouring the hot water over the back of a spoon? The purpose of this is to soften the fall of water onto the sugar topping, to try to keep the surface as even as possible so the surface of the pudding is as even as possible when it comes out of the oven.
I’m not an expert at this part. Also, my recipe uses a slightly higher water to sugar ratio than most classic recipes because I like to have a sauce that is actually a bit like sauce, rather than a thick sludge. Mind you, sludge still tastes fabulous! It’s just a matter of preference.
So because I use slightly more water, the top of my pudding is not as perfectly smooth. Less water = smoother surface = less sauce. 🙂
See? Here’s my sauce. It’s pourable. But thick, not watery. You can actually scrape some off the bottom of the baking dish and pour it over. ??
I’ve never been embarrassed by the nubbly top of my puddings but if I was, I’d just dust it with icing sugar.
The pudding really is cake-like so you could in fact slice it and serve it like cake, then use a spoon to drizzle each slice with the chocolate sauce.
But tradition is to use a spoon to serve Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding. Scoop out big dollops of it so you get cake and sauce in each spoonful. It doesn’t look as neat as slicing, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding is just made with cocoa powder, no chocolate. I’m sure there are richer versions around with the addition of chocolate chips. But the traditional way is so darn good, I have no urge to stray!
I like to serve pudding with ice cream or cream, and usually some fresh strawberries or other fruit, just to break it up and add a pop of colour.
Easy enough for midweek. And a crowd pleaser for company. I am totally and utterly in love with Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding! – Nagi x
More cosy warm desserts for cold winter nights!
- Apple Crumble – personal favourite!
- Strawberry Crumble
- Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce
- Bread and Butter Pudding
- Magic Caramel Self Saucing Baked Apples
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding
Ingredients
Topping
- 1 cup (175g) brown sugar , loosely packed (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
Batter
- 1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour) (150g)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup (110 g) caster sugar (ordinary white sugar ok)
- 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 50 g / 4 1/2 tbsp butter , melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170C/335F (standard) / 150C/305F (fan forced / convection).
- Grease a 5 - 6 cup baking dish with butter. (Note 3)
- Topping: Whisk brown sugar and cocoa in a bowl, set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, caster sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the butter and milk, then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until combined - it will be a thick batter.
- Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar / cocoa mixture. Shake gently to spread out thinly.
- Carefully pour the hot water over the back of a dessert spoon all over the top of the pudding - see photo in post or video below recipe. (Note 4)
- Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when poked lightly. The top will be a bit crusty, like the top of brownies.
- Remove from oven, stand for just a few minutes (no more!), then serve immediately. (Note 5)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Recipe video! And don’t worry, though you’ll see Dozer plodding over for a taste test, he didn’t get any. No chocolate for dogs!
LIFE OF DOZER
He hates floor-mopping day even more than I do because I make him wear socks while I enjoy the feeling of clean floors for a few hours….
SaveSave
SaveSave
Best Chocolate Self Sausing Pudding I have ever had. This chef nails everyone of her recipes! Although I would at more water to get the perfect amount of sause. Ive now made this recipe nearly a total of 10 times in 3 weeks! Abosultely obbessed!
Hi there, just made this tonight but sadly the sauce did not drop to the bottom. It stayed on top bubbling away. When I eventually pulled it out of the oven, the cake was hard and stodgy due to the fact I left it in longer than prescribed because I thought it wasn’t cooking. Any idea why the sauce stayed at the top and the cake stayed at the bottom? I made a butterscotch self saucing pudding last week that worked perfectly 😕 Otherwise the flavour was nice.
Hi Holly, sorry you had issues here, that’s never happened to me before!
I loved this, baked twice so far, as good as the White Wings packet mix! I did prepare a couple of hours before, worked well for me but perhaps I would have more sauce. I note your previous comment about keeping the wet and dry separate, will do so next time. Also, it took me 3 tries this time to work out that I needed to melt the butter WITH the milk – it congealed? otherwise. Such a good recipe, thanks.
Hi Cassie, yes if you add cold milk to butter, it will harden. I’m so glad you loved the recipe though!
Hi Nagi!! Just wondering could I prepare this ahead and pour the hot water over just before baking it? I would love to serve this at a dinner party but would like to do the prep before hand. Sorry I couldn’t find the answer in your comments section. Thank you!!!
Hi Elizabeth, unfortunately you can’t make it ahead because you’ll activate the raising agent and you’ll end up with flat pudding. The only way to prep this one is to keep the wet and dry ingredients separate and combine when ready to cook – N x
Thanks for your reply Nagi! I might just try your suggestion!:)
EVERY recipe I try from Recipetineats is a winner! Loved this chocolate self saucing pudding, was just like I remember from when I was a little girl, perhaps even better! I live in a different city to my best friend and our ‘currency’ is your recipes. Two to three times a week one of us will message saying “have you tried this?”. Love your work and really enjoyed listening to you talk on the Upsiders podcast.
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Jo! ❤️
Amazing as usual. I trippled the recipe, made it in a Pyrex dish, baked for 35min and served with strawberrys and icecream. Was just too good
Wahoo, sounds amazing!
At 150 deg (fan forced) after 30mins it was underdone. Increased temp to 180 for a further 10-12 mins when it bounced back at the touch. Unfortunately even tho it looked cooked it tasted doughy.
I’ll give it another go maybe at 180 deg next time because let’s face it Nagi your recipes are usually fantastic.
Oh no Amanda, I’m sorry you had issues with this one – the trick is to have it slightly underdone so it doesn’t dry out – N x
Hi from London Nagi,
Looks delicious. My grandmother used to make this for us back in the 1960s, it was our favourite pudding after Sunday lunch, but I lost her recipe a few years ago. I think I recall her using self raising flour instead of plain flour and baking powder. Could I do this? Seems like quite a lot of baking powder per cup of flour and I think I would remember that, so I think she must have used self raising.
Hi London, you could definitely use self raising instead, I just don’t usually have it in my cupboard so substitute in the plain flour with baking powder – N x
Made this last night and it was a big hit! My family and I ate about half of it and it has relatively decent sauce at the bottom (still not as runny as yours but I pulled it out when it sprung back when poked which was a little longer than 30min). But then when I went for seconds, the rest didn’t seem to have any sauce at the bottom. I think I need to find that sweet spot where it’s done baking but the sauce is still runny. Really delicious though and not too sweet which I loved!!
I’m so glad it was a hit Nala, I always tend to undercook this as it will continue to cook slightly even when removed from the oven ❤️
Hi nagi do you have any recipes that have no egg and gluten free please
Thanks Deb
Hi Deb! I have a gluten free recipe collection you can browse 🙂 Just go to my Recipe Index and find Gluten Free! N x
Hi I’m going to be making this for my Christmas in July dessert. I am trippling the recipe to cater for more mouths….should I triple cooking time too?
Hi Adriana! Nope, just increase by about 5 minutes – assuming you use a larger pan 🙂 N x
Dozer looks so cute with those socks!!
Hi Nagi,
I made this pudding last night. It was really delicious! Perfect on a cold winter’s night. YUM! Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Hi Nagi
Sorry if this has already been asked.
I wanted to know if i can make components of this in advance, as I need to bring it to a lunch party.
Could I mix everything first, then refrigerate and then pour the boiling water just before baking? Do i add an extra minute or two to the baking time then?
Thanks heaps
Nah ,
I have really enjoyed making this but the sauce wasn’t runny at the bottom of the cake like in your video
Hi Alaa! Sounds like it cooked longer than it needed to 🙂 Pull it out 5 minutes earlier! N x
Does it need to be refrigerated to preserve it?
Hi Nagi, I am planning to make this for a dear colleague farewell party. Can I make this in the morning, take it to office and still expect some sauce when I serve it later in the evening say around 3ish ?
Hi Thulasi! There will still be some sauce but unfortunately not quite as much as when made fresh 🙂
Nagi,
Can this be made in individual dishes? If so, what would I need to adjust?
Thanks 🙂
YES!! Use those larger ramekins, 5 is ideal (6 starts getting small) and bake for 22 – 25 minutes until the top springs back when you poke it (it will depend on the size of ramekin you use, the poking test is the best way to tell). N x
I can’t get the cookbooks. It keeps telling me the email peramiters should include and email, ruins or leid key. I’ve tried both my personal email and my work email and it won’t accept either.
Sorry to hear that Kisa. I will add you manually – you should receive an email soon with links for the ebooks, otherwise they are in every new recipe email I send you! N xx
Hi nagi – We made this with gluten free flour and it was delicious and saucy still (sometimes gf dries out a bit for some reason?) we also tried your plum and hoisin drumsticks this week! Super yummy!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed this Kate – AND the drumsticks! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know – N x
Hi.
I have just discovered this recipe. My household is full of GF cherubs. Going to try this one. I have had so many failures. All the kids want is a self saucing pudding. Lets hope it works. Did you use the same amount of flour?
Heather