Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking: Indulgent chocolate surprise

This is a chocolate sponge with a surprise chocolate sauce. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of water used in the recipe – the rich sauce will magically appear bubbling under the baked surface of the sponge once it is cooked.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES

FOR THE SPONGE 

60g (2oz) caster sugar

60g (2oz) semolina

30g (1oz) cocoa powder, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

30g (1oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

2 eggs

icing sugar, for dusting

FOR THE SAUCE 

100g (4oz) light muscovado sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

300ml (10fl oz) boiling water

• You will need a wide-based, deep ovenproof dish about 1.2 litres (2 pints) in capacity. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and grease the dish well.
• To make the sponge, measure the caster sugar and semolina into a bowl with the cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix the melted butter and eggs in a jug and beat with a fork until blended. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients (see note) and whisk carefully with an electric hand whisk on a low setting until combined and smooth, taking care not to overbeat the mixture. Spoon into the prepared dish and level the surface.
• Measure all the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour over the sponge mixture. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until well risen on top and the sauce is bubbling underneath.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

COOK’S NOTES 

It is important to keep the dry and wet ingredients separate until mixing.

PREPARE AHEAD 

Assemble the uncooked sponge in the dish up to 4 hours ahead. Pour over the sauce just before baking.

FREEZE 

Not suitable for freezing.