Retro chocolate sponge pudding with chocolate custard

Wander down memory lane with this pudding, a childhood favourite for many. Warm, fluffy chocolate sponge is served with lashings of rich, creamy chocolate custard. It’s such a simple dessert, but it’s one that’s sure to raise a smile for anyone you share it with, and that’s what comfort food is all about.

SERVES 8-12 PREP 25 mins COOK 50 mins MORE EFFORT

V ❄ sponge only

225g butter, softened, plus extra

for the tin

225g light brown soft sugar 4 medium eggs

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

50g cocoa powder

75ml milk

For the custard

200ml double cream 500ml whole milk

1½ tbsp cornflour

85g caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 medium eggs, plus 2 egg yolks (freeze the whites for another recipe)

1 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.

2 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.

3 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. 4 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.

PER SERVING (12) 485 kcals • fat 31g • saturates 18g •

carbs 42g • sugars 28g • fibre 2g • protein 9g •

salt 0.4g