Recipes: Whip up these three decadent chocolate treats

Dark chocolate and cinnamon cheesecake

This baked cheesecake has the added sophistication of a generous helping of dark chocolate. Either spiced with cinnamon or with an added kiss of chilli heat, this cheesecake will have you fighting over the final slice. For best results, make sure all of the filling ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.

Ingredients, serves eight to ten

150g digestive biscuits

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

For the filling

725g full-fat cream cheese

200g caster/granulated sugar

25g cornflour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

Seeds of two vanilla pods

3 whole eggs, plus 1 yolk

160 ml sour cream

200 g dark chocolate, melted and cooled

For the chocolate and chilli variation

200g chilli flavoured dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Half tsp chilli powder

Candied chillies

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Blitz the digestives, cocoa and cinnamon - or the chilli chocolate and powder - in a food processor, add the melted butter and blitz again. Press the biscuit rubble firmly into the bottom of a 23cm deep, loose-bottomed spring-form cake pan and bake for 10 minutes.

3. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, paint the inside of the pan liberally with melted butter and set on a baking sheet. Increase the oven to 220C.

4. Beat the cream cheese until creamy, before gradually adding the sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and salt. Add the vanilla before whisking in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Whisk in the sour cream and cooled melted chocolate, and pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 110C.

5. Bake for a further 25 minutes. If you gently shake the pan, there should be a slight wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for two hours with the oven door slightly ajar.

6. Cover loosely with foil (without touching the top) and set in the fridge for eight hours or overnight. To serve, dust the top with cinnamon and carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan, then slide it onto a serving plate.

Hot chocolate soufflé

Soufflés are always impressive, but are simpler to achieve than many people think. Make sure you pre-heat your oven and run your thumb around the inner rim of the ramekin before baking and your soufflés can’t fail to rise.

Ingredients, makes six

500ml milk

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

6 eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

60g cornflour, sifted

65g cocoa powder, sifted

A pinch of salt

Icing sugar, to dust (optional)

Pouring cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

Equipment

6 x 200ml ramekins, greased and dusted with cocoa powder, then chilled

Method

1. Put the milk and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan set over a gentle heat, and slowly bring to the boil.

2. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks, 100g of the sugar, the cornflour and cocoa in a heatproof bowl to form a paste, then set a fine mesh sieve over the top.

3. Once the milk just comes to the boil, pour it over the egg mixture through the sieve. Discard the vanilla pod and whisk the hot milk into the paste to make a custard, then return it to the saucepan and stir continuously until thickened slightly. Leave to cool.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

5. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and gradually add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, to make a stiff and glossy meringue. Whisk the custard mixture until smooth and fold in the meringue, until streak-free, being careful not to knock the air out of the mixture.

6. Fill the ramekins to the top, level the surface with a palette knife and run your thumb around the rim of each ramekin. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until they are well risen. Do not open the oven door during baking or the soufflés may sink.

7. Dust with icing sugar if you wish and serve immediately with pouring cream or vanilla ice cream.

Kladdkaka

This Swedish chocolate mud cake has a sticky, gooey centre and is delicious served with whipped cream.

Ingredients, serves six to eight

2 eggs

300g caster sugar

65g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp dark rum

115 g butter, melted

Ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C.

2. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk. Add the vanilla, rum and melted butter and whisk to combine.

3. Pour the batter into a 20cm pre-greased round pie plate and bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes. The cake will still be very gooey in the middle. Serve hot with ice cream or leave to cool and serve with whipped cream.

Recipes taken from Deliciously Chocolatey Cakes and Bakes by Victoria Glass, published by Ryland, Peters & Small, price £20 hardback