Chocolate Pudding for Christmas Pudding Haters

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Pudding For Christmas Pudding Haters With Hot Chocolate Sauce (from Christmas and on the Nigella website) is a chocolate sponge that is steamed. The sponge should be firm enough to cut, though not dense or stodgy. Unfortunately there are a variety of reasons as to why the sponge may have crumbled but sometimes if the batter is over-mixed it can cause a sponge to become crumbly. The batter should be processed only until just mixed.

If the cake was very fluffy then it could be that too much raising agent was used. Measure the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda carefully using a 5ml teaspoon measure and the spoons should be level and not heaped. It is also possible that the basin was not thoroughly greased which caused the cake to stick as it was turned out, which could in turn cause the cake to collapse when it is on the serving plate. Grease the basin thoroughly and if you are using a pyrex or stoneware basin then it may halp to line the base with a circle of baking parchment (parchment paper). Letting the pudding rest for 15-30 minutes before removing it from the basin may also help though we have had success in turning out this pussing straight from the steamer.