National Chocolate Cake Day is the perfect excuse to celebrate everything rich, indulgent, and unapologetically chocolate. From layered entremets to fudgy, nut-studded classics, chocolate continues to be
the ultimate comfort and celebration dessert. This curated trio of recipes brings together refined pastry techniques and crowd-pleasing flavours, making them ideal for professional kitchens, home bakers, and festive menus alike.
The Hazelnut Praline Delight is a sophisticated multi-layered dessert combining biscuit, crunch, cremeux, and mousse for a luxurious bite. The Chocolate & Pear Cake balances deep cocoa notes with fresh pear jelly and a glossy mirror finish, offering elegance with contrast. Rounding it off is the Crunchy Nutty Mud Fudge, a rich, fudgy chocolate cake finished with truffle and rocher glaze for maximum indulgence.
Whether you’re celebrating the day, planning a dessert spread, or creating content around chocolate, these recipes showcase chocolate in its most irresistible forms.
Hazelnut Praline Delight
Components & Ingredients
Hazelnut Biscuit
Unsalted butter – 156 g
Caster sugar – 156 g
Whole eggs – 3 nos
Vanilla essence – 2 ml
Refined flour – 35 g
Praline Crunch
Milk chocolate – 133 g
Dark chocolate – 67 g
Hazelnut crush – 200 g
French biscuit – 200 g
Hazelnut Cremeux
Hazelnut paste – 100 g
Milk – 50 g
Cooking cream – 50 g
Sugar – 50 g
Gelatin sheets – 3 nos
Hazelnut Praline Mousse
Hazelnut paste – 200 g
Cooking cream – 80 g
Milk – 40 ml
Whipped topping – 134 g
Caster sugar – 12 g
Gelatin sheets – 3 nos
Assembly
Place the hazelnut biscuit at the base of the cake ring.
Spread the praline crunch evenly; refrigerate or freeze to set.
Pour the hazelnut cremeux over the crunch layer and freeze until firm.
Add the hazelnut praline mousse, smoothing the surface evenly.
Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Optional: Spray with velvet spray for a premium finish.
Garnish with toasted hazelnuts, chocolate décor, or edible gold leaf.
Thaw slightly before serving.
Chocolate & Pear Cake
Components & Ingredients
Pear Jelly
Pear purée – 350 g
Caster sugar – 100 g
Pectin powder – 6 g
Lemon juice – 10 g
Liquid glucose – 6 g
Cocoa Streusel
Unsalted butter – 100 g
Almond powder – 60 g
Refined flour – 110 g
Caster sugar – 100 g
Cocoa powder – 40 g
Dark Chocolate Biscuit
Unsalted butter – 150 g
Icing sugar – 180 g
Almond powder – 120 g
Cocoa powder – 33 g
Whole eggs – 143 g
Chocolate Mousse
Dark chocolate chips – 250 g
Thick cream – 100 g
Milk – 50 ml
Whipped cream – 150 g
Gelatin sheets – 2 nos
Assembly
Place the cocoa streusel as the base layer.
Spread an even layer of pear jelly over it.
Add the dark chocolate biscuit on top.
Finish with a thick layer of chocolate mousse, smoothing the surface.
Garnish with diced pears for texture.
Pour cocoa mirror glaze once the mousse is set.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Crunchy Nutty Mud Fudge
Components & Ingredients
Mud Sponge
Water – 235 g
Unsalted butter – 187 g
Caster sugar – 262 g
Dark chocolate – 90 g
Refined flour – 227 g
Cocoa powder – 23 g
Baking powder – 9 g
Whole eggs – 120 g
Nutty Rocher
Milk chocolate – 500 g
Refined oil – 120 ml
Roasted nuts – 80 g
Chocolate Truffle
Dark chocolate – 500 g
Cooking cream – 200 g
Assembly
Prepare and cool the mud sponge completely.
Layer with chocolate truffle mixed with nutty rocher.
Freeze for 4 hours until firm.
Pre-finish the cake with a layer of dark chocolate truffle.
Freeze again for 2 hours.
Dip into crunchy nutty rocher glaze.
Garnish with chocolate décor, praline nuts, or edible gold leaf.
