Easy 4 Ingredient Chocolate Concrete
This is the classic school dinner chocolate concrete. With only 4 ingredients, it's crumbly with the crunch you know and love. A perfect retro treat, especially when topped with pink custard!
Servings 8 Squares
Calories 450kcal
Cost $5
Equipment
- 8 Inch Square or Round Cake Tin
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups plain flour / all purpose flour 200 g / 7 oz
- ¾ cup caster sugar / superfine sugar or granulated white sugar, 130 g / 5 oz
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder 100% Dutch unsweetened, 30 g / 1 oz
- 100 g butter 3.5 oz
Optional - For the Pink Custard
- 600 ml strawberry milk 20 fl oz
- 75 g instant custard powder 2.6 oz
- 6 drops red food dye
Instructions
How to make in Conventional Oven
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 360°F. Add the all purpose flour, cocoa and sugar into a large mixing bowl and combine using a whisk or spoon.1 ¾ cups plain flour / all purpose flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, ¾ cup caster sugar / superfine sugar
- Melt the butter in 10-15 second bursts in the microwave until melted. Pour into the flour mix and roughly combine.100 g butter
- Use your hands to really work the butter through the flour, breaking down any clumps. The mix will become crumbly like potting soil.
- Pour into a square 8 in / 19 cm cake tin lined with baking paper. Press down firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon until flat and compact. Make sure to press the edges as well to avoid crumbling after baking.
- Optional: Brush with water, then sprinkle a little extra sugar (1-2 tsp) over the top for an extra crispy crust.
- Pop in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and pull out of the pan using the baking paper. Slice into squares and serve hot with custard.
How to make in Ninja Foodi Max Multi Cooker
- Skip "pre-heat oven" and follow the steps for the conventional method above, up to Step 3. Pour cake mix into a round 8 in / 19 cm cake tin lined with baking paper. Press down firmly with your hands of back of a spoon until flat and compact. Make sure to press the edges as well to avoid crumbling after baking.
- Optional: Brush with water, then sprinkle a little extra sugar (1-2 tsp) over the top for an extra crispy crust.
- Place tin onto the Ninja Foodi rack, and fold up the handles.
- Using the rack handles, place the cake tin into the Ninja Foodi Max Multi Cooker and close the air fry lid.
- Turn the Ninja Foodi on and select Bake / Roast. Set the temperature to 175°C / 350°F and time to 20 minutes. Press start.
- Once cooked, use oven mitts on the rack handles to remove from the multi cooker. Next, take the cake out of the tin using the baking paper, cut into slices and serve immediately while hot with custard.
Optional - For the Pink Custard
- Pour strawberry milk into a medium mixing bowl. Add instant custard powder and whisk together.600 ml strawberry milk, 75 g instant custard powder
- Add 3-6 drops of red food colouring for extra pink colour custard.6 drops red food dye
- Cook custard according to packet directions.
- Serve cold or hot over chocolate concrete cake.
Notes
- Ingredient notes:
- All Purpose Flour - Good old plain, all purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. Bread flour also works well. Avoid using self raising flour as this will give you a lighter, cake-like result and not the concrete you're looking for!
- Butter - Salted butter works well for this recipe, but you can also swap out for oil or vegan butter.
- Sugar - Regular caster sugar or granulated sugar is best. Sub with brown sugar for a deeper flavour and less sweetness.
- Cocoa Powder - Use 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. If using a hot chocolate mix or Milo, up the amount to 50g / 1.75oz or around 7 tbsp.
- Add extras - pop in a 1/4 cup of raisins or chocolate chips for a sweet twist.
For more flavour - Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence into melted butter. - Make it a cake - Add an egg and use self raising flour to transform it into a chocolate cake.
Small tins - Use smaller tins (less than 19cm / 8 in) for a chunkier slice. - Storage - Pop in an airtight container and store at room temperature for a few days, or freeze. When ready to eat from frozen, allow to thaw then heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften.
- Hard or soft - If you like soft chocolate concrete, serve it immediately while hot. Otherwise, allow it to cool and harden.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 573IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg