Hot Chocolate & Halva Pudding From Benjamina Ebuehi

This cake isn’t fussy or even frosted. And it makes its own sticky chocolate sauce, so you can skip straight to scooping it up warm, right from the pan. Like so many of Great British Bake-Off star Benjamina Ebuehi's minimalist cakes, it's exactly what we need right now, and nothing more. As Benjamina writes in her book The New Way to Cake, “It’s a rainy Wednesday, and you’ve had a long day. That chocolate craving hits and this is what you turn to. Hot Chocolate & Halva Pudding is my mid-week indulgence that is the best accompaniment to a Netflix catch-up while curled on the sofa. This isn’t anything like what you’d call a pudding in the United States and instead has a similar texture to a steamed cake served piping hot. The cake crust is thick yet so soft it gives away easily as you sink your spoon inside. Underneath lies a pool of chocolate gold produced by what can only be called magic and is flecked with crumbly pieces of sesame halva–a dense Middle Eastern candy. This is best served as soon as it exits the oven, while the chocolate sauce is still swimming. And if you’ve had a really bad day, add a scoop of ice cream for good measure.” *A few more tips: If you’re making this cake just for your family or yourself, leftovers will warm up in the microwave just fine. Or consider halving the recipe and baking in an 8x8-inch (20x20cm) pan—the time may need to be adjusted, so watch it closely. We don’t recommend substituting instant coffee for instant espresso—the flavor isn’t as rich and won’t blend in as seamlessly. You can find halva online (including in the Food52 Shop!) or in any Middle Eastern supermarket. If you can’t find halva and would still like to make this cake, leave it out—but in that case, the tahini swirl is highly recommended. Recipe from The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor (Page Street Publishing, November 2019). This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.