Decadent chocolate and Guinness pud
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Decadent chocolate and Guinness pud
Steamed sponge puddings have a lovely light texture and the Guinness in this one adds a hint of bitterness to offset the rich chocolate. Steam it in a pan, on the hob or in a slow cooker
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
736Kcal
Fat
47gr
Saturates
29gr
Carbs
66gr
Sugars
49gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
9gr
Salt
0.9gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 75g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100g soft salted butter, plus extra to grease
- 125g dark brown sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 40g cocoa powder
- 125g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 125ml Guinness or other stout
To serve
- 15g cocoa powder
- 50ml Guinness or other stout
- 100ml double cream, plus 150ml to serve
- 75g dark brown sugar
- 75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
You will also need
- a 1.5l pudding basin (about 18cm diameter) with a lid, or foil, baking paper and string
Step by step
Use your slow cooker
Check your basin will fit in the slow cooker with the lid on properly once the pudding basin is in (there’s no need for a trivet). Switch on to High while you prep the pudding. Add boiling water to come halfway up the outside of the pudding basin, place the lid on the slow cooker and steam for 3 ½ - 4 hours.
- Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in short bursts in the microwave, or over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth; set aside.
- Generously butter the pudding basin and put a small disc of baking paper in the base. If you don’t have a lidded basin, lay out a large sheet of foil and place a sheet of baking paper on top, then butter the paper. Make a folded pleat across the middle to allow for expansion of the pud during steaming, then set aside.
- Cream the butter and dark brown sugar together then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the cocoa, flour, bicarb and a pinch of salt, and beat in briefly, followed by the melted chocolate. Gradually beat in the Guinness to give a smooth batter then scrape this into the prepared basin. Cover with the lid, or with the pleated foil and paper (buttered- side down), then secure in place with string below the basin’s rim, adding a handle to make lifting out easier (trim off the excess paper and foil so they won’t dip in the water during steaming).
- Bring a kettleful of water to the boil and place an upturned heatproof saucer or a folded cloth in a large pan that is deep enough to hold the pudding basin, as a trivet. Sit the covered basin on the trivet in the pan and add boiling water to come about a third of the way up the outside of the basin. Steam for 1 ½ hours, checking the water level once or twice. Remove the pudding and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.
- Sift the cocoa powder into a saucepan and gradually whisk in the Guinness to make a paste, followed by 100ml of cream and the sugar, plus a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped chocolate and leave to melt; stir until smooth. Meanwhile, whip the remaining cream to soft-peak stage.
- Carefully turn out the pudding onto a plate and pour on some of the chocolate sauce. Pile on the whipped cream and serve with the rest of the sauce in a jug. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be frozen.
