Chocolate Concrete Cake Recipe - My Morning Mocha (2024)

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How To Make Chocolate Concrete Cake (Chocolate Crunch)

This school chocolate concrete is a classic dessert that is so easy and simple to make. Learn how to make the best chocolate crunch recipe and serve with pink custard to take you back down memory lane.

This chocolate concrete recipe is incredibly delicious; I can’t seem to get enough of it. Equally rich and indulgent this retro school pudding is exactly how I remember it.

It’s a great dessert to make when you want something quick, tasty and also inexpensive. The flavours in this dessert are absolutely delicious. It’s hard to stop at one!

If you’re looking for a sweet treat that will take you right back to your school days, then guess what, you’ve come to the right place.

What Is Chocolate Concrete?

Chocolate concrete also called chocolate crunch is an old retro tray bake enjoyed in UK schools by many. It’s a classic school dinners dessert served in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Oh, I can remember the excitement as a child, lining up in a long queue hoping to get the biggest slice of concrete cake.

It tastes like a chocolate shortbread and becomes quite crunchy when left to cool down. That’s why it’s also called chocolate brick, choc crunch and concrete cake.

As well as having it crunchy, I also love to eat it straight away after being baked in the oven whilst warm and soft. It can be served both hot and cold, enjoyed as it is or served with custard.

Watch How To Make It

Why I Love Choc Crunch

I am a huge fan of desserts that I can make easily and bake in a matter of minutes. Luckily for us, this chocolate concrete recipe does both and that’s not all, you only need four basic ingredients that you probably have already.

I just love the fact that it only takes 20 minutes to bake and the prep time is 10 minutes. Just like this old school cake you can make a big batch to feed many.

So, Is It A Cake Or Biscuit?

Well, that’s quite a tough question. Technically chocolate concrete is similar to shortbread biscuits but recipes for chocolate concrete vary slightly.

Recipes with egg provide slices that are softer than recipes without egg which are crunchier and concrete like. This recipe uses egg and I love how it’s soft when freshly baked and hardens whilst cooled.

If you want an even more crunchy texture, miss out on adding an egg, this recipe tastes great either way.

Recipe Ingredients

Below are the few ingredients needed to make this old school chocolate concrete recipe:

• Plain Flour: Plain flour provides the structure in the concrete cake, despite the name it is more of a shortcake biscuit, that is why plain flour is used instead self-raising flour.
• Granulated Sugar: Not only is granulated sugar added to the concrete cake mixture, but a classic and traditional recipe has granulated sugar sprinkled on top too! The sugar topping provides a crunchy sweetness followed by a chocolate cocoa taste.
• Egg: Adding an egg helps the ingredients bind together.
• Margarine (Butter): I used stork margarine, but you could also use butter. Whichever you use, it needs to be melted.
• Cocoa Powder: The main flavour in this recipe which provides a delicious chocolatey flavour.

Can You Use Drinking Chocolate Instead Of Cocoa Powder?

Yes, you can use drinking chocolate to make chocolate concrete, but the cake will not be as rich in flavour and the colour would not be as dark as a signature chocolate brick recipe.

Using cocoa powder makes your crunch have a deep brown colour and a rich chocolate flavour. If you’re wondering what type of cocoa powder to use, go for cheaper options or use the cocoa powder you have at home already. There’s no need to buy super expensive cocoa powder.

My Top Tips For Chocolate Concrete Cake

Even though this school dinners chocolate crunch recipe is so easy to make, below are my top tips to making this recipe even easier and even more delicious.

• Press down the mixture before baking! It will make your chocolate concrete thick in texture like a brick (hence the name). If you don’t press the mixture down, it will be light and not how you’ll remember it at school.
• If you like a soft chocolate concrete, do not leave it to rest but eat it warm. I love to eat it like this sometimes, it reminds me of a brownie.
• If you want the full school chocolate crunch experience, you can make this recipe with pink custard (or normal custard). I’ll show you how to make it below. I always used to pass on the custard, but many love having chocolate concrete with it.

Is Chocolate Crunch The Same As Chocolate Concrete?

Yes, they’re both the same but with different names (that’s why I use them interchangeably). Depending on the school the name will slightly differ just like what they served with it (though many remember it with custard).

How To Make Chocolate Concrete (Crunch)

Full recipe instructions and details are in the recipe card at the bottom, be sure to check out my quick video on how to make chocolate concrete too!

You can use a small size baking tin, it’s best for this recipe for a thick slice. But really any size would be fine. I used a 9″ square baking tin.

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (gas mark 4 or 350°F) and grease a baking tray with butter or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl add plain flour, sugar and cocoa powder and mix together.

Step Two:

Put the margarine in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted. Then add the melted margarine to the mixing bowl with one egg and mix the ingredients together until well combined.

Step Three:

Tip the mixture into the baking tray and pat the mixture down so that it’s compact and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Once baked, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Serve hot for a soft concrete crunch or leave to cool for a crunchy concrete cake.

Serve With Pink Custard (How To Make It)

Making pink custard is super simple.

Mix 250ml of milk with 175ml of double cream in a saucepan on a medium heat, remove from the heat when it starts to simmer. In a large mixing bowl mix 3 egg yolks with 25g of caster sugar until the egg and sugar mixture has doubled in size (the colour should be pale).

Slowly add a few teaspoons of the milk and cream mixture at a time into the sugar and egg yolk mixture and whisk. When half of the milk and cream mixture has been mixed in, place the saucepan back on a low heat and whisk in the remaining milk and cream mixture. Add in the raspberry (or strawberry) coulis and whisk until the custard is thick enough to coat a spoon.

An easier way is to mix strawberry milk and instant custard together, then add 3-5 drops of red food colouring. Then cook the mixture as advised on the instant custard instructions.

How To Store Chocolate Crunch

Once baked allow the chocolate crunch to cool down before placing it in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days if stored in a dry place at room temperature. If kept in the fridge it will last for a few more days. If you don’t plan to eat the chocolate concrete straight away, then you can freeze them (see below).

Can You Freeze Chocolate Crunch

Yes, you can freeze this concrete cake recipe. If you want to make it ahead or keep the leftovers for a later day this would be a great option.

Place the cool chocolate concrete slices into an airtight container and layer parchment paper between layers. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to defrost and eat it, allow the slices to thaw then microwave for 20 seconds to soften.

Recipe Variations

There are so many ways to change this recipe and add in your favourite flavours and ingredients, below are a few suggestions:

Change The Custard Flavour: Alongside pink custard, you could also rustle up chocolate custard or mint custard.

Change What You Serve It With: If you’re anything like me and not the biggest fan of custard, then you can serve it with homemade Biscoff ice cream, whipped cream or have it by itself.

How About A Chocolate Orange Chocolate Concrete Tray Bake? Chocolate and orange are classic flavours that go so well together. Either grate orange peel into the chocolate concrete mixture or squeeze a few drops of orange juice then bake and enjoy.

Make This Recipe Vegan: To make this chocolate concrete recipe vegan, omit the egg from this recipe and use margarine instead of butter. Follow the recipe instructions otherwise.

Want To Make More Delicious Desserts?

Love this old school chocolate crunch recipe and want to make some more homemade school pudding favourites. How about delicious old school cake or gooey flapjack recipe to bring back even more school memories. Find more delicious desserts to try below:

• Cornflake Tart
• Chocolate Flapjacks
• Cinnamon Swirls
• Nutella Puff Pastry Twists
• Butterscotch Tart
• Kinder Bueno Brownies
• Malteser Brownies

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