Flowers fade. Cards get tucked in drawers. But chocolate? Chocolate is remembered.

Whether you’re baking for a partner, your grandchildren, friends coming over for afternoon tea – or simply yourself – chocolate has a way of making any occasion feel special.

Here are three foolproof chocolate recipes: a rich cake for celebrations, a silky dessert that looks impressive but is wonderfully simple, and a batch of classic biscuits perfect with a cup of tea.

Aprons on. Let’s begin.

Classic Rich Chocolate Cake
Moist, deeply chocolatey and perfect with cream or ice cream – this is the cake that never disappoints.

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
200g butter
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.
Melt chocolate and butter together (microwave in 30-second bursts or over a double boiler). Stir until smooth.
Add sugar and mix well.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder together, then fold into mixture.
Stir in milk until smooth.
Pour into tin and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool before slicing.

Serve with: Fresh berries and whipped cream – or warm slightly and add vanilla ice cream.

Easy Chocolate Mousse (No Fuss, No Oven)
Light, creamy and elegant — this dessert looks like you’ve made a great effort (even though you haven’t).

Ingredients

200g good-quality dark chocolate
3 eggs, separated
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 cup thickened cream
Pinch of salt

Method

Melt chocolate gently and allow to cool slightly.
Beat egg yolks into the melted chocolate.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until glossy.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Fold cream into chocolate mixture.
Gently fold in egg whites until just combined.
Spoon into serving glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Optional extras: Top with shaved chocolate, raspberries or a dollop of cream before serving.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Biscuits
Crisp at the edges, soft in the middle — perfect for sharing (or hiding in the biscuit tin).

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup dark or milk chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
Fold through chocolate chips.
Roll tablespoon-sized balls and place on tray, leaving space to spread.
Bake 10–12 minutes until golden at the edges.

Cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.