Easy Baked Chocolate Sponge Pudding

Old School Baked Chocolate Sponge Pudding was a popular pudding in the U.K back in the day. Super chocolatey and deeply delicious, especially when served with a generous pool of chocolate custard. One of the best baby.

*Scroll down to the bottom for the full printable recipe card*

Listen, whether you open a tin of shop bought custard or make your own, there's never, ever any judgment here but.....custard has to be the most serious of considerations at this point. However, I have already made it clear that you're amongst friends and I'm not going to hold you in any way accountable if you go all off piste and opt for a scoop or three of vanilla ice cream or a generous drowning of double cream. Come as you are.

Jump to:

• Reasons to love this baked chocolate sponge pudding
• Sponge Ingredients
• Chocolate Custard Ingredients
• Method
• How To Make Chocolate Custard
• Tips & Tricks
• Other Old Fashioned School Puddings
• Old Fashioned Baked Chocolate Sponge Pudding

Reasons to love this baked chocolate sponge pudding

• gives all the nostalgic feels
• cupboard ingredients
• economical (if using baking margarine especially)
• super easy
• crowdpleasing
• can make ahead & reheat
• easily adaptable, can make as a traybake and top with icing

Sponge Ingredients

• 225 grams plain flour & 1tsp baking powder or self raising flour + 2tsp baking powder
• 225 grams butter or baking margarine
• 4 large eggs
• splash or 2 of milk if needed to make batter loose enough
• 225 grams caster sugar- can be golden or granulated
• 50 grams cocoa (not drinking chocolate)

Chocolate Custard Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 50 grams sugar - caster or golden
• 3 tbsp cocoa (not drinking chocolate)
• 300mls milk - semi skimmed
• 300 mls double cream - you can use single cream instead of double cream for the custard but it will be a thinner consistency. Elmlea works well too.
• 2 tsp cornflour

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C/160C Fan/375F/Gas mark 4
• Line a baking tray with baking paper.

• Put 4 large eggs, 50 grams of cocoa, 225 grams of sugar, flour & butter or baking spread into a large mixing bowl.

• Beat with an electric hand whisk for about 3 minutes until the mixture pales in colour.

• use a spatula to scrape the mixture from the sides and bottom of the bowl and then mix again. The mixture should be of a soft dropping consistency so if you were to scoop a dollop up and try to drop it without force off the spoon it should do so easily. If it doesn't then add a splash of milk and mix again. Repeat if required.

• Dollop it all out into that lined baking tin enjoying all that fabulous ASMR. Lush.

• Smooth it evenly in the tin. Another fabulous process. Am I alone in this?!

• Then bake it baby for about 40 minutes or until the top is springy to the careful touch and a cocktail stick comes out without any mixture stuck to it. All the usual checks to make sure the sponge is baked. During this time if you are serving the pud straight away then make your custard whilst it goes about it's baking business (see below)

• Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into the squares that we remember so well.

• I use a ruler when cutting my squares because I have the visual perception of a toddler and cannot cope with even a whiff of unevenness as a hostess.

How To Make Chocolate Custard

• Place 4 egg yolks, 3 rounded tbsp cocoa powder, 50 grams sugar and 1 and ½ tsp cornflour in a large mixing bowl and mix into a rich chocolatey paste. It might look delish but don't lick the spoon, trust me.

• Pour 300mls of milk & 300mls of cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a gentle heat until it just starts to think about bubbling.

• Pour the heated milk & cream back into the mixing bowl onto the chocolatey mixture and carefully whisk until blended. Remember the mixture will be very hot so be careful it doesn't splash.

• Carefully pour this chocolatey mixture back into the sauce pan and heat gently while continuously stirring until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don't be tempted to leave it, you need to watch it and keep stirring, boring I knows.

• If you’ve got any lumps, you shouldn't have I promise you my friends, pour the custard through a sieve before serving hot.

• Pour over your downright super cute and fabulous chocolate sponge squares and dive in. You're welcome.

Tips & Tricks

• add milk or white chocolate chips or frozen raspberries for a switch up
• make ahead and reheat in the microwave in ten second bursts
• allow to cool in the tin for ten mins before turning out onto a wire rack until completely cold and top with chocolate icing for a delicious chocolate tray bake
• Freeze baked squares or the cake in it's entirety for up to 3 months double wrapped in foil or in stout tupperware/plastic containers. Defrost at room temperature still wrapped.
• You can use single cream instead of double cream for the custard but it will be a thinner consistency.
• Use shop bought or powdered custard for a sometimes well earned short cut.

Other Old Fashioned School Puddings

• Jam Steamed Sponge Pudding
• Chocolate Steamed Sponge Pudding
• Lemon Steamed Sponge Pudding
• Apple Crumble
• Treacle Sponge
• Meringues
• Steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Jam Roly Poly
• Easy Treacle Tart
• Spotted Dick