After baking a dessert at the age of 11, I never did it again for a decade. I don’t understand why because my mother made many approving noises when the dessert was finished. It wasn’t until I made apple crisp at college that I felt the urge to bake again. (Recipe here). Recently, I remembered the dessert and was thrilled to find it online. It’s easy to make and almost magical. The cake batter is made, then a topping of brown sugar and cocoa is added. Finally, hot water is poured over the mixture, and voilà, a sauce forms inside the cake. It may have something to do with the difference in density, but please don’t quote my words. The name of the dish is somewhat suspect (self-saucing? But what a self-motivated dessert, huh? Sorry, I’ll stop. It would be great for a job interview.
If you can, I would recommend buying a good cocoa powder. Callebaut is recommended by my sister and mother, who are the bakers of the family. While Hershey’s was good, I believe a better quality cocoa could make this recipe special. This recipe is from one of Australian Women’s Weekly books. Do you remember them? Growing up, those books were our go-to guide for everything. I read a book about pets and a costume book every week.
Ingredients1 cup (150 g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
Brown sugar, 1 cup (110g)
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
One egg
60-gram butter melted and cooled
Serve cream or vanilla ice cream
For the sauce
Cocoa powder, 1/3 cup (35g).
Brown sugar, 1 cup (110g)
1 3/4 cups (430 ml) boiling water
Method
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C with a fan. Place a 1.5-litre (6-cup) ovenproof dish on a baking tray covered with foil or baking paper (to catch any spills).
Pour the flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar to dissolve any lumps.
In a large jug, whisk together the butter, milk, and egg. Use a whisk to mix the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the dish you have prepared and smooth out the top with a spoon.
Pour the sauce and sift cocoa powder in a bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Sprinkle evenly on the batter.
Pour the boiling water over the cocoa-sugar mixture into the dish. Bake for 50 minutes or until the topping of the cake is firm. Serve with ice cream or cream.