Chocolate cherry self-saucing pudding

Doug Sherring

I always lean towards caramel or fruity desserts or cheesecake over chocolate. And although I'm not a die-hard chocaholic, I do love it, particularly the good-quality dark stuff. My friends and I used to make this classic self-saucing pudding when we were students. I've added cherries for their tart contrast.

Cake

100 g	Butter
½ cup	Sugar
1	Egg
1 tsp	Vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups	Flour
2 tsp	Baking powder
1 Tbsp	Dutch cocoa powder
1 ½ cups	Morello cherries, in jar or can, pitted and drained (Main)
2 cups	Boiling water

Sauce

¼ cup	Brown sugar
¼ cup	Dutch cocoa powder
1 Tbsp	Cornflour

Directions

1. Beat the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla, until combined. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Gently combine with a spoon until well incorporated.
2. Take a medium oven-proof dish and scatter over the cherries. Spoon over the chocolate mixture.
3. Combine the sauce ingredients, then scatter evenly over the mixture in the dish. Carefully pour over the boiling water.
4. Bake at 180C for 35 minutes, until the pudding has risen and springy. Serve warm with mascarpone or runny cream.

Another chocolate recipe from Delaney

• Chocolate whisky ganache