My mum was a school dinner lady – here's here 4 ingredient recipe for a nostalgic childhood classic

The Irish Sun

01-08-2025

A TIKTOKER has gone viral after sharing her mum's iconic four-ingredient recipe for a school dinner pudding that's bound to bring back memories.
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An ex-dinner lady has shared her recipe for a childhood school classic
Credit: Tiktok/ @kate_keo
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The dessert only uses four ingredients
Credit: Tiktok/ @kate_keo
And judging by the comments, she's unlocked a core childhood memory for a lot of Brits.
If you grew up in the UK, chances are you remember whacking your spoon through a slab of this chocolate concrete in the dinner hall, often with a big dollop of pink custard on the side.
'This is just like the one we had at school,' one viewer said.
'Can't believe how easy it is.'
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Another added: 'It's not school dinners without chocolate concrete and pink custard!
For anyone unfamiliar, chocolate concrete was a staple of British school dinners from the 1970s through to the early 2000s.
It's a hard, crunchy chocolate traybake that almost always came served with vibrant pink custard, adding a sweet contrast to its dense texture.
It's known for being so tough, you needed a strong spoon, or sheer willpower, to break through it.
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But fans of the pudding say that's all part of the charm.
Now, thanks to Kate and her mum, who used to be a
And the best bit is it tastes exactly like the one you had in school.
The simple chocolate cake recipe using only TWO ingredients - it's sweet and you won't even need to put it in the oven
Kate said: 'This was one of my favourites, it brings back all the memories. We had so many requests for this recipe, and I can see why!'
To make it, you only need plain flour, sugar, cocoa powder and melted butter.
The dry ingredients get mixed together until they resemble a crumbly mess.
'It looks like mud,' Kate joked, as they pressed the mixture into a tray.
A sprinkle of water and sugar over the top gives it that signature crunch once baked.
After half an hour in the oven, it comes out smelling amazing and rock solid, just like it should.
'It cuts best while it's still hot,' Kate said, showing off a perfect square of chocolate concrete. 'It's school in a bite.'
Fans flooded the comments saying how much they loved the nostalgic bake, with one person writing: 'This is EXACTLY how I remember it!'.
Another added: 'Please make pink custard next, I forgot how much I loved that combo.'
A third said: "One follower commented: 'We used to race to be first in line for this at school. It's legendary.'
Kate teased she might share the recipe for chocolate crunch next, which is a slightly softer school favourite made with eggs, but it's the concrete version that's got everyone talking.
TikTok has become a hotspot for nostalgic food trends lately, with creators reviving everything from cornflake tart to spam fritters, but chocolate concrete continues to top the list as a childhood favourite.
With the summer holidays in full swing, this is the perfect treat to whip up with the kids or just for a throwback afternoon tea.
Just make sure you've got a strong spoon and maybe a side of pink custard, for old time's sake.
Method
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The chocolate concrete dessert is easy to make
Credit: Alamy
Here's how to make it.
First preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4).
Then grease a square baking tin (around 9–10 inches) with butter or line with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, sugar, and cocoa powder.
Mix well until everything is evenly combined – it should look like a dry, crumbly mixture.
Then you will want to pour in the melted butter and mix again until it resembles a thick crumble texture.
It won't look like a typical cake batter but that's exactly how it should be.
Tip the mixture into the tin and press it down firmly using the back of a spoon or your hands.
Really compress it so it's packed in tight as this helps it harden into that classic "concrete" texture.
Drizzle a small amount of cold water over the top, then sprinkle over a little extra sugar. This gives it that signature crisp topping.
Then bake it in the oven for 30 minutes.
You'll know it's ready when it smells rich and chocolatey and feels firm on top.
As soon as it comes out, cut it into squares while still hot, it'll harden fast as it cools.
You'll want to serve it warm if you like it soft in the middle or let it cool completely for that full crunchy, authentic school pudding texture.
Ingredients
For 12 slices, you will need:
300g plain flour
300g granulated sugar
60g cocoa powder
150g melted butter
A little cold water (for sprinkling)
Extra sugar (for topping)