Chocolate Cakes

This category speaks of an almost universal love: chocolate. A good chocolate cake has a unique power to please — it is rare to find someone who is indifferent to it. Intense, delicate or indulgent, chocolate transforms any cake into comfort and pleasure.

Whether celebratory or everyday, a chocolate cake pairs beautifully with fresh coffee, a conversation among friends, a quiet evening watching your favourite series or a joyful gathering. It may be generously covered in ganache or chocolate buttercream, like Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Devil’s Food Cake or Matt Lewis’s Milk Chocolate Malt Ball cake — or just partially coated, playing a subtle game of reveal and conceal in this visually appealing cake by Fiona Cairns, Family Chocolate Cake.

Chocolate cakes can also be made in a ‘naked’ style, like this German Chocolate Cake, which requires structure and precision: sturdy layers, smooth sides and a glossy finish to maintain balance and elegance. An important consideration with naked cakes is that they should be assembled on the same day they are meant to be consumed, as the exposed layers tend to dry out more quickly.

Chocolate pairs well with almost any filling or frosting, but two well-known combinations which deserve special attention are demonstrated by Levi Roots’s  Chocolate and Orange Cake and William Curley’s Chocolate & Pistachio Cake. Chocolate with Banana from Rose Levy Beranbaum softens the intense flavor of the chocolate. For a more unusual and distinctive flavor combination, consider this Triple Chocolate, Bacon and Sour Cream Cake by Bruno Feldeisen.

When all components of a cake—sponge, filling, frosting, and decoration—are made only with chocolate, the result is a highly concentrated flavor and a visually impactful presentation. Such cakes are rich and intense, offering a bold experience rather than a delicate one.  

This collection is part of An Introduction to... Cake