Chocolate Sponge Puddings Recipes

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.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 5-cup pudding bowl, and set aside.
• Combine 5 tablespoons sugar with salt, flour, and cocoa in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Combine chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl, and melt over simmering water.
• In a small saucepan, bring milk just to a simmer. Immediately add to chocolate mixture. Beat egg yolks. Stir a little chocolate mixture into yolks; add yolks to mixture. Add vanilla; stir until well combined. Stir into flour mixture.
• Beat whites with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff, and fold into batter. Pour into pudding bowl, and place on a rack in a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into pan halfway up the sides of the bowl. Bake until pudding is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Add boiling water to pan as necessary to maintain water level.
• Let cool slightly in the bowl, and invert onto a plate. Garnish with hazelnuts.