Dessert or sweet snack
Special diets: Nut free, Egg free, Vegetarian
Difficulty: Beginner cooks
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
From the family of Edie and Igby RH.
Ingredients
Cake batter
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2.5 Tbsp cocoa powder
60g butter
1/2 cup (125mL) milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Sauce
1.5 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups (500mL) boiling water
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
2. Use a 1.5 L (6-cup) ovenproof dish (ceramic with a glass lid preferred) for mixing the cake batter and cooking the pudding. In the ovenproof dish, mix together the dry cake ingredients (sifted flour, cocoa and caster sugar) and stir to remove any lumps.
3. Heat the butter and milk in a medium saucepan or microwave safe dish until the butter has melted. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Add the milk mixture to the dry cake ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. To make the sauce, sift the brown sugar and remaining cocoa evenly over the cake batter and then gently pour the boiling water over mixture. Do not stir. The top layer of cocoa and brown sugar will dissolve and form the sauce for the pudding.
6. Cover with the lid and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. For a crisper top you can bake without the lid but you will have less sauce due to evaporation.
7. Stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: The level of sweetness can be adjusted by using less brown sugar in the sauce, and richness can be reduced by using less cocoa powder in the batter and sauce.
Serving suggestion: Serve with cream or ice cream.