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
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!
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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 (315ml) boiling water
Batter
- 1 cup (150g) plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup (70g) white sugar , preferably caster/super fine but ordinary 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:
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….
I have very fond memories of chocolate pudding for dinner as a fun treat when we were kids but I haven’t had it in years! Thanks for this little piece of my childhood, it was just as good as I remember.
apologies, i just read more comments and found my answer 🙂
Hi Nagi, could i make the mix and sprinkle the choc on top and leave it in the fridge for a while before adding the hot water and cooking? i would like to have this ready to go into the oven when we sit for dinner.
Looks so yum!
Sorry!i meant larger.
And because of my terrible internet accidentally wrote two comments.
Was delicous and chocolatey,my only problem being it was To small-i made it for eight-can i safely double this while only using a slightly smaller dish?
I made this and it was great,my only problem being it was To small-i made it for eight-can i safely double this while only using a slightly smaller dish?
A little too much cocoa. But otherwise just how I remember it to be!
Chocolate pudding is my favorite snack. I only make 4 things. Recipe in Polish – potato flour, milk, sugar and cocoa. https://infomiasto.eu/przepis-jak-zrobic-domowy-budyn-czekoladowy/ I recommend to try it, very dense and intense.
I’ve been making chocolate self-saucing puddings for years… but your recipe beats anything I’ve previously tried, and appreciating the good quantity of sauce, was devoured by everyone. I made mine dairy-free, substituting butter for Nuttelex and dairy milk for almond milk. Absolutely divine. Now off to try the golden syrup variety!
I forgot to add… and I don’t think I was supposed to do this… but the second time I made this, I mixed the batter, scattered the topping and covered the pudding until ready to pour the boiling water and bake. It was just as sensational as the first effort, when I baked it straight away. I know now, from reading the comments, that this shouldn’t have turned out as well, but it seemed to have been unaffected.
Hello Nagi , i love your recipes but Im trouble understanding one thing. You write the amount of something with “cups” and then with gr or ml. For example i was making one of your dishes but I was confused cause you said 1 cup or 150 ml . I dont understand if the ML are suppose to be equal to the cup cause 150ml is not a cup, and my cake was a disaster ..please clarify for me..thank you..
Hi Sabrina – I list the gram/ml equivalent next to the cup measurement in this recipe. I think you’re confused as I refer to 1 cup of flour weighing 150g (flour weighs less than water). If you’re ever unsure – use the gram and ml measurements listed as that’s a standard no matter where you are located. All the ingredient amounts listed are correct in this recipe. N x
Ok , I got it now, thank you Nagi and thank you for your very interesting recipes !! I will try your cake again 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing another incredible recipie Naggie! Ive cooked this a few times and the consistency never looks the same as that in your video. Im having troubles measuring out the ingrediants in grams. Can you please share a link to an accurate conversion chart so I can mesure out the ingrediants in Aust. cups/ spoons? All the charts ive found online have diffrent information! Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, I live in Australia and use Australian cups and a 15ml tablespoon. So all the measurements listed are correct for you 🙂 N x
I really like the pan that you used to baked the pudding. Do you know where I could purchase the same pan?
Hi Frances! It’s called Falcon Enamel, here it is online in Australia:
https://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/Falcon-White-Blue-Enamel-Bake-Pan.aspx
I actually got it at my local grocery store when they were briefly stocking it. BUT I actually don’t recommend it. Yes it looks pretty. But it’s flimsy and thin, so doesn’t hold heat well so it has very limited uses, this being one of them. I actually rarely use it nowadays 🙂 N x
Good to know about 15ml tablespoon as my tablespoon is 20ml. Your site was recently recommended to me and I’ve had great success with your recipes. I really love all the extra notes, explanations. 🥰
Lost count how many times I’ve made this and it’s always a winner. I do halve the sugar but only because we don’t like things overly sweet.
Tonight we’re having your – ‘slow cooker beef brisket with bbq sauce’, a side of ‘stovetop Mac & cheese’ and this for dessert!
Oh and I also made your ‘healthy homemade granola’ today too. All are fab!
Thanks Nagi for taking my bland home cooking to amazing! I turn up to family gatherings with one of your dishes and it’s always the favourite, it always makes me look awesome 👏🏽 🙏🏽 Thanks
Third time making this for my children; absolutely loved by us.
Love your recipe. I baked these into little ramekins but I didn’t get any sauce (I followed the recipe). I checked the pudding at 20min mark and it was still wet on the top (it didn’t bounce back and looked uncooked). At 30min mark, it was cooked but there was so sauce. What could I have done wrong?
Nagi EVERY recipe I have tried of yours is full of flavor and needs no alterations to taste great. No need to read reviews because follow what is written in the recipe and you will end up with a perfect dish every time. Thanks for making such a difference to my cooking. Standard response by family to something I’ve cooked now
“Is this recipietin?”
Oh woah, what a lovely compliment. Thanks so much Michelle ❤️
Dear Nagi your recipes are always easy n excellent, thank you
You’re so welcome Arita!! N x
Just baked this and got all thumbs up from the family 👌🏻 was just wondering, could i use milk instead of water when making the sauce?
Hi Trixi – unfortunately not, milk would split – N x
Cooked this tonight and the family absolutely loved it. Thank you I’ll be cooking it again. 😀