Author Tom Kerridge says: “Cherries and dark chocolate are such an incredible flavour combination, and this is my updated take on the classic pairing. When you bake this pudding, it produces a rich and gooey centre, so you really need to get your timings right and serve it soon after it comes out of the oven.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 tbsp cherry compote (from a jar)
200g pitted fresh cherries
175g butter, softened, plus extra to grease the dish
175g soft light brown sugar
3 large free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g cocoa powder, plus extra to finish
A pinch of salt
80g dark chocolate, finely chopped
50ml whole milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Grease a deep 28 x 23cm baking dish well with butter.

Spread the cherry compote over the base of the dish, tip in the cherries and spread out evenly.

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one by one, whisking well after each addition. (Don’t worry if the mixture begins to curdle at this point; once the flour is added it will all be OK.)

Add the vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, cocoa, salt, chopped chocolate and milk and continue whisking until you have a combined batter. Spoon this mixture over the cherries and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon.

To make the sauce, tip the cocoa and brown sugar into a heatproof jug and mix together. Pour in the boiling water and stir well until smoothly blended.

Carefully pour the sauce all over the pudding mix in the dish and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the pudding is cooked. To check, insert a skewer into the middle; it should come out clean.

Remove the dish from the oven and leave the pudding to cool a little for a few minutes before serving. Dust the surface with sifted cocoa and serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.

Extracted from Real Life Recipes by Tom Kerridge (£26, Bloomsbury Absolute)

3 self-saucing puddings that are the epitome of a warm hug in a bowl