our best chocolate

Our really easy chocolate cake recipe is perfect for birthdays. It’s so moist and fudgy and will keep well for 4–5 days. For buttercream quantities, instead of ganache, use our <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/sponge_cake_calculator">cake calculator</a>.

Each serving provides 477 kcal, 6.5g protein, 56g carbohydrates (of which 40g sugars), 25g fat (of which 10.5g saturates), 2.5g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Easy chocolate cake

flour

350 grams/12½oz caster sugar

cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

free-range eggs

250 milliliters/9fl oz milk

125 milliliters/4½fl oz vegetable oil

tsp vanilla extract

250 milliliters/9fl oz boiling water

chocolate

200 milliliters/7fl oz double cream

Serve this warm chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream, meringues or even as a chocolate fondue.

Easy chocolate sauce

200 grams/7 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped

175 milliliters/6fl oz milk

tbsp double cream

grams/1¼oz caster sugar

grams/1¼oz butter,

This chocolate drip cake is the ultimate birthday treat for chocolate fans.

For this recipe you will need four 20cm/8in sandwich cake tins (approximately 4cm/1.5in deep), a 20cm/8in and a 30cm/12in cake board, two non-slip cake mats trimmed to about 18cm/7in and 25cm/10in diameter, a cake side scraper and a medium piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle. 

Chocolate drip cake

400 grams/14 ounces plain flour,

1½ tsp baking soda

dark chocolate,

270 milliliters/½ pint milk

300 grams/10½oz dark soft brown sugar

300 grams/10½oz caster sugar

free-range eggs, beaten

double cream

250 grams/9 ounces salted butter,

icing sugar

tbsp vanilla extract

chocolate,

grams/1½oz salted butter

golden syrup

sunflower oil

grams/3½oz chocolate,

Edible gold lustre dust, for dusting the dark chocolate shards

I have always avoided making chocolate tarts because I have never really felt that the pastry served the chocolate, or was worth the effort. This is my simple solution: make a base out of chocolate biscuits. And the filling is just as easy to make, too. I never lie about how effortless something is to make, but no one will believe me on this one.

For this recipe you will need a 23cm/9in deep-sided (approx. 5cm/2in deep), loosebottomed flan tin.

Salted chocolate tart

x 154 grams/5½oz packets chocolate cookies,

dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids)

grams/1¾oz unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp smoked sea salt flakes (see tip section)

grams/3½oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

cornflour

tbsp full-fat milk

500 milliliters/18fl oz double cream

grams/1¾oz cocoa powder, sieved

espresso powder coffee powder

75 grams/2½oz caster sugar

vanilla paste

olive oil

¾ tsp smoked sea salt flakes

I have always avoided making chocolate tarts because I have never really felt that the pastry served the chocolate, or was worth the effort. This is my simple solution: make a base out of chocolate biscuits. And the filling is just as easy to make, too. I never lie about how effortless something is to make, but no one will believe me on this one.

Nigella's easy rocky road will never be out of place at a birthday party or school bake sale.

Rocky road crunch bars

125 grams/4½oz soft unsalted butter

200 grams/7¼oz rich tea biscuits

100 grams/3½oz mini marshmallows

Here’s an easy molten chocolate pudding that's a real crowd-pleaser. The chocolate sauce gets poured on the top, but miraculously ends up on the bottom. How do they do that?


Chocolate self-saucing pudding

175 grams/6 ounces unsalted butter,

300 grams/10½oz soft light brown sugar

grams/1¾oz cocoa powder,

tsp bicarbonate of soda

salt

tbsp milk

icing sugar,

cream,

Oh boy! Chocolate, cheesecake – what’s not to like? And everyone knows that Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. Just thinking about this makes us weak at the knees – not one for the faint hearted.

Chocolate cheesecake

full-fat cream cheese

200 milliliters/⅓ pint soured cream

150 grams/5½oz caster sugar

eggs

sunflower oil,

300 grams/10½oz chocolate oat biscuits

butter, melted

Belgian chocolate truffles

white chocolate, for grating, or icing sugar

This dense and fudgy brownie recipe adds chocolate hazelnut spread into the mix as well as crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

Gooey chocolate hazelnut brownies

grams/3½oz plain flour

¾ tsp baking powder

300 grams/10½oz dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

butter

sugar

100 grams/3½oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped

grams/3½oz chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)

milliliters/2fl oz hazelnut liqueur (optional)

Orange and spice make this chocolate fondue so nice. Serve with cubes of madeira cake, leftover Christmas pudding and fruit. 


Chocolate, orange and spice fondue

250 milliliters/9fl oz whipping cream

milliliters/2fl oz milk

orange

cinnamon stick, broken up

vanilla pod, split lengthways

chipotle chilli, split

cloves

allspice

blades mace

peppercorns,

ginger

milliliters/3½fl oz syrup ginger

rum, brandy or ginger wine (optional)

cake

leftover Christmas pudding

fruit,

This is one of those dark, squidgy-bellied chocolate cakes that I turn to gratefully when I have friends over to supper; a gratitude that is always reciprocated. The mixture of ground almonds and amaretto gives a marzipan kick, balancing the bitterness of the chocolate. The amaretti cream alongside brings both smoothness and a fine honeycomb crunch to the velvetiness of the cake. 

Equipment: You will need a 20cm/8in springform cake tin.

Top 10 our best chocolate recipes from across the web

The most viewed our best chocolate recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Easy chocolate cake

Easy chocolate sauce

Chocolate drip cake

Salted chocolate tart

Rocky road crunch bars

Chocolate self-saucing pudding

Chocolate cheesecake

Gooey chocolate hazelnut brownies

Chocolate, orange and spice fondue

Sunken chocolate amaretto cake

Top 10 our best chocolate recipes from across the web

The most viewed our best chocolate recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy chocolate cake

Easy chocolate sauce

Chocolate drip cake

Salted chocolate tart

Rocky road crunch bars

Chocolate self-saucing pudding

Chocolate cheesecake

Gooey chocolate hazelnut brownies

Chocolate, orange and spice fondue

Sunken chocolate amaretto cake

The most viewed our best chocolate recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine