Win all hearts with the most memorable chocolate fantasies brought to life in a kitchen.

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Italian Meringue Frosting and Pistachio Brittle

These might be a bit fiddly to make, but are a real treat.

Makes about 20 small cupcakes | A little Effort | 1 hour 15 mins

Cupcakes

• 380g butter
• 350g brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 250g cake flour
• 10ml (2 tsp) baking powder
• 50g cocoa powder
• 190ml (¾ cup) milk

Meringue Frosting

• 80ml (1/3 cup) water
• 300g sugar
• 6 large egg whites

Pistachio Brittle

• 400g (2 cups) sugar
• 150g (1 cup) shelled raw pistachios

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C and line 2 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. For the cupcakes, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Fold into the egg mixture, mix to combine well and stir in the milk.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake holders and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
5. For the meringue, bring the water and sugar to the boil until it reaches 119°C on a sugar thermometer, or firm ball stage (see cook’s tip).
6. When the syrup is ready, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until stiff peaks form. Pour the boiling syrup into the egg whites in a slow, steady stream while whisking vigorously. It is important that the syrup is very hot as this partially cooks the egg whites. If you don’t have someone to help pour the syrup while you beat, add the syrup in stages, about a third at a time, beating hard and fast after each addition.
7. For the pistachio brittle, melt the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat without stirring. Scatter the pistachios on a silicone baking mat or greased, foil-lined tray. Pour the melted sugar over the nuts to create a sheet of brittle. Once the brittle has cooled and hardened, place it in a sealed plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin to form crystalline lumps.
8. Pipe meringue frosting over the cooled cupcakes, top with a generous handful of pistachio brittle and serve immediately.

White Chocolate Baked Cheesecake with Grilled Pears

Makes 1 cake | A little effort | 1 hour 45 mins

Base

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 30ml (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
• 100g butter, melted

Filling

• 300g good-quality white chocolate
• 400g cream cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 150ml créme fraîche
• 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Topping

• 400g (2 cups) sugar
• 250ml (1 cup) water
• 4 firm pears, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• 30ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil

1. Grease and line the base and sides of a 21 cm spring-form cake tin.
2. Blend the biscuits in a food processor to crumb consistency (or put them in a sealed plastic bag and bash until you have crumbs). Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine. Pour in the butter and combine to form a moist, cohesive consistency. Press the mixture evenly over the base of the cake tin and leave to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
4. For the filling, break the chocolate into a glass or metal bowl and melt gently over a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is runny and smooth. With an electric beater, beat the cream cheese and eggs together in a large bowl until well incorporated. Add the créme fraîche and vanilla and beat until the mixture is glossy and lump-free. Stir in the melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, spreading it lightly and evenly over the chilled base.
5. Bake until firm around the edges and just set in the middle, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin.
6. For the topping, melt the sugar with the water in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce by a third to forma syrup.
7. Heat a griddle pan to very hot. Toss the pears in the oil to coat and grill until they are nicely marked with dark lines. Immediately place the pears in the hot syrup to prevent discoloration.
8. When the cake is cool, remove the outside ring and lift the base onto a serving plate. Strain the grilled pears, arrange them over the top of the cheesecake and serve.

Light Almond-Chocolate Cake with Dark Ganache

Makes 1 cake | Easy | 1 hour 20 mins

This recipe is adapted from Tina Bester’s BAKE, and combines two things that should never be separated – almonds and chocolate. It is rich but light at the same time.

• 250g good-quality dark chocolate
• 250g butter
• 4 large eggs
• 100g castor sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 80g ground almonds

Ganache

• 400g good dark chocolate
• 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 22cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler and allow to cool a little.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour and almonds. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool a little before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
4. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a luxurious gloss. Spread over the cooled cake just before serving.

Chocolate Victoria Sponges with White Chocolate Mascarpone Filling

Serves 4 | Easy | 55 mins

Sponge Cake

• 100g castor sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• 90g cake flour
• 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
• 10g (25ml) cocoa powder

Filling

• 100ml fresh cream
• 250ml (1 cup) mascarpone
• 300g white chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm baking tins.
2. For the cake, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric beater until pale and fluffy, for no less than 15 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold into the egg mixture. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for about 25 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack and carefully peel off the baking paper.
3. For the filling, gently heat the cream, mascarpone and 200g of the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Be careful not to overheat the mixture. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining chocolate.
5. Cut each cake into 4 rounds with a cookie cutter. Sandwich these together with the filling and drizzle with the melted chocolate. If you like, top with a chocolate truffle.

Chocolate Lava Cup

Makes 12 | Easy | 30 mins

• 400g good-quality dark chocolate
• 400g butter
• 6 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• 200g sugar
• 200g cake flour
• 12 blocks white chocolate (Toblerone works well)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture, mixing well after each addition.
5. Slowly add the flour, a tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth.
6. Lightly butter 12 medium-sized ramekins. Pour the mixture into the ramekins, up to about three-quarters full.
7. Bury 1 block of white chocolate in each pot. Bake until crisp on top, but gooey inside, about 12-14 minutes. Serve immediately.

Food by Zola Nene and Robyn Timson. Styling by Nikki Gaskell. Photographs by Karl Rogers. This article is featured courtesy of the July 2010 edition of Food and Home magazine.

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