Sugar In Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake (from HOW TO EAT) is a raspberry-studded cake that has an almost-mousse-like texture when warm. It is made with a combination of light muscovado sugar and caster (superfine) sugar.

Muscovado sugar is a partially refined cane sugar that still contains some molasses. Dark muscovado has a higher molasses content than light muscovado. The difference between muscovado and soft brown sugars is that muscovado has molasses left in during the refining process whilst soft brown sugars are usually made with refined white sugar (from cane or beets) that has molasses added back. However in cooking they act in the same way so if you can't get muscovado sugar then you can use the appropriate soft brown sugar. As the recipe uses light muscovado sugar we would suggest using soft light brown sugar for preference. If you can only get soft dark brown sugar than you can use that instead, though it has a slightly stronger molasses taste. Avoid using a crystallised sugar such as demerara sugar, turbinado sugar, barbados sugar or sugar in the raw as these don't dissolve well enough in the cake batter. If you can't find an appropriate soft brown sugar then we suggest replacing the muscovado with extra caster sugar instead.