Chocolate Marmalade Slump Cake.

Without doubt this is one of the best puddings.  Ever.  It is a complete breeze to make, doesn't require any crazy ingredients, it is supposed to sink when you take it out of the oven, it keeps in the fridge for days and absolutely everybody loves it.  I found it in the Sunday Times 'Style' magazine in the UK a year or two ago but sadly didn't note down the genius who invented it.

Channel thoughts of dense rich slices of orange chocolate brownie and you're nearly there...

Ingredients

100 g chunky Seville orange marmalade
1 large orange, grate the zest finely
125 g caster sugar
150 g unsalted butter
150 g dark choc, 60-70% cocoa solids
4 medium eggs, separated
50 g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar for dusting

Cream or creme fraiche to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C and line the base and sides of a 23 cm loose bottomed circular tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the marmalade and zest in a food processor and blitz until slushy, then add the sugar and blitz again.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then remove from the heat.
4. Add the chocolate, broken into chunks, to the butter push down so submerged then leave for 3 minutes (don't be tempted to keep poking it).

5. After 3 minutes stir the chocolate and butter until smooth and glossy, add the marmalade slush then tip the whole lot into a clean bowl.
6. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and beat in with a wooden spoon, then sift in the cocoa powder and beat in.

7. Whisk the egg whites in a very clean mixing bowl with a pinch of salt.  They are done when you get a 'coaxing finger' when you pull the whisk out of the whites i.e. the peak flops over a bit at the top.

8. Beat a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up, then fold in the remaining egg white making sure it is all mixed in but be careful not to loose all the egg white air.

9. Pour the mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 30 minutes or until the centre has risen and set.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes or longer, it will sink that is the 'slump', remove from the tin and serve dusted with icing sugar and some cream or creme fraiche.

It comes out looking all risen and 'cake' like...

Then it slumps and for once congratulate yourself on a successful sinking cake...

It is incredible served with creme fraiche and a strong cup of coffee post dinner, and while it is technically a pudding cake it does make pretty damn good elevenses.