Chocolate Sponge Puddings Recipes

CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray the insides of the ramekins with cooking spray. Distribute 1 tablespoon sugar among the 4 ramekins to coat.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar with a handheld mixer until the yolks are pale yellow and the sugar dissolves. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, and salt. In another small bowl, combine the vanilla and milk. Add half the cocoa mixture to the eggs followed by half the milk mixture, beat until smooth, and then add the remaining cocoa and milk mixtures.
• In a small, clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until stiff. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until incorporated. Be careful to not mix the air out of the egg whites. Divide among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in baking pan and carefully fill the pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the cakes have risen and the centers spring back at a gentle touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and brown sugar and set aside.
• When the puddings are done, remove from the water and serve with a dollop of sweetened sour cream and a sprinkle of orange zest. Serve warm.

RETRO CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 20 x 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl using an electric whisk for 5 mins until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until incorporated and the mixture is a mousse-like consistency.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa over the wet ingredients, then tip in the milk and fold everything together with a spatula until there are no floury streaks remaining.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the spatula. Bake for 40 mins, then check the sponge is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out with any sticky cake mixture attached, return the sponge to the oven for another 5-10 mins and check again. Leave to cool slightly in the tin. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then wrap well and freeze for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature, then reheat as stated in the tip below.
• Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the cream and milk in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat - don't let it boil. Combine the cornflour, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl, then whisk in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, until you have a smooth paste. When the cream mixture is hot and steaming, pour a splash into the cocoa paste to loosen it, then tip this back into the cream mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring continuously until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - you should be able to draw a line through the custard on the back of the spoon using your fingertip. Remove from the heat and sieve the custard into a jug to remove any lumps. Cover the surface with a circle of baking parchment to prevent a skin forming. Cut the warm sponge into squares and serve with the custard for pouring over.

MELTING CHOCOLATE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Ask your grown-up helper to switch the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Use a pastry brush to brush the muffin tin or pudding moulds with oil.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder and cocoa into a bowl, then stir in the ground almonds.
• Beat the butter with the sugar using a wooden spoon or electric beaters.
• Add the eggs and flour mix, and beat everything together. Add 1 tbsp water if the mixture is too thick to fall off the spoon.
• Spoon the mixture into the tins or moulds and level the tops. Push a chocolate into the middle of each one - but don't push it right to the bottom.
• Ask a grown-up to put the puds in the oven for 20-25 mins. Leave for 10 mins or until cool enough to handle, then carefully turn out onto plates.

HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Butter the inside of a 1.2 litre pudding bowl and line the base with a disc of buttered greaseproof paper.
• Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk and egg. Add the cocoa to the flour, then tip this mixture into the pan with the cinnamon and soda.
• Pour the mixture into the pudding bowl, cover tightly with foil and steam for 11⁄4 hours. Just before the end, heat the sauce ingredients until melted, stirring all the time.
• Turn the pudding out (run a knife around the inside of the bowl if necessary) and discard the paper disc. Pour the sauce over the top and serve immediately.

NIGELLA LAWSON'S CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDING FOR CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Use a 1½-quart Pyrex mixing bowl.
• Butter your heat-proof Pyrex mixing bowl. Make sure you have adequate boiling water in a pan (or a conventional steamer) on the stovetop to steam the sponge.
• Put the flour and cocoa powder into a processor and blitz to get rid of any lumps.
• Add all the remaining sponge ingredients to the processor and blitz, for longer this time, to mix. Take the lid off, scrape it down, then put the lid back on for 3 more long pulses. Scrape the chocolate batter into the prepared bowl, smooth it down (the batter will come only halfway up the bowl) and wrap the bowl, first, in parchment paper, then in a layer of aluminum foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap and a second layer of foil, so no water could possibly get inches Stem in the boiling water in the pan or steamer for 1½ hours (by which time the sponge will have risen to about 1½ inches below the lip). To cook it for longer will do no harm.
• To make the sauce, which can easily be done before you eat, and reheated just before you serve the pudding, put all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat to melt, stirring every now and again and then whisking, off the heat, at the very end, to combine smoothly.
• When the sponge is ready, remove it carefully from the pan or steamer without burning yourself, then unwrap from its foil and plastic wrap casing. Put a plate, or a stand, with a slight lip, on top, flip both upside down, so plate and sponge are the right way up, and wiggle off the bowl.
• Pour some hot sauce over the sponge, so that it just covers the top and falls in glossy, licking drips down the side, and pour the rest of the sauce into a jug or bowl to be served with a spoon.
• Make Ahead Tips:
• Measure all the sponge ingredients the day before, ready to whiz together.
• Make the chocolate sauce up to 1 week ahead, then cool and chill until needed, reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• Freeze Ahead Tip:
• Make and freeze the chocolate sauce for up to 3 months, and reheat as above.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Use a handheld electric whisk or a freestanding mixer to beat 175g softened unsalted butter and 175g golden caster sugar together in a bowl until creamy and light in colour. Then add 1 large egg, still mixing.
• Sieve 50g cocoa powder, 100g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt into another bowl and add a third of that to your wet ingredients.
• Once combined, add 1 more large egg and another third of the flour mixture and work that in.
• Then add 1 more large egg and the remaining flour and beat until you have a smooth thick batter. If the batter is stiff, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it.
• Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 20-25 mins until springy to the touch. Take out of the oven and leave in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the buttercream by melting 50g dark or milk chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over just simmering water, making sure the base doesn't touch the water. Leave to cool.
• Beat 85g softened unsalted butter and half of the 175g sieved icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix together. If the icing is runny, chill in the fridge until it is firm but still spreadable.
• To assemble the cake, put a small dollop of icing onto a plate and put one of the cakes on top. Spread the top of the cake with half the icing, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
• Put the second cake on top and push down very gently. Spread the remaining icing over the top.