Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

This celebration cake is a staple at Bake Chicago. It has a wonderfully fudgy, old-fashioned, homemade texture. The frosting has an unusual method that may feel initially like it's failing, but stick with it. Laced with sour cream, it's creamy and utterly delicious.

Related: Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

This rich, creamy (and surprisingly easy!) chocolate tart is the most-requested recipe at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Door County, Wisconsin.

Reine Keis of SweetArt Cafe in St. Louis says that the secret to vegan baking is not assuming that one plant-based alternative fits all recipes. In this truly cozy cake, coconut yogurt is her power play.

This exceedingly moist and rich (but so simple!) cake is all about chocolate and butter; if you can swing it, choose top-quality brands.

Related: Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes

Orange marmalade is a nice surprise in these rich (and ribbon-winning) bars created by Iowa State Fair entrant Marianne Carlson.

Related: Our Best Bar Cookies

One of our testers described this tart's filling as "chocolate butter." We couldn't agree more. It's fantastically rich, with roast-toasty salted almonds in the crust and flaky sea salt on top to balance the sweetness.

Take the layers in: Cookie-crumb crust. Dark chocolate cheesecake. Vanilla cheesecake speckled with raspberries and orange zest. A heap of fresh fruit. What a stunner!

Related: Rich and Creamy Cheesecakes

Slip yourself one of these insanely rich morsels, which fall somewhere between a truffle and a cookie, on those gray afternoons when only chocolate will do.

Related: The Midwest's Best Cookies

Fans of cakey brownies, step away now. These squares are dense and rich, thanks to brown sugar, extra egg yolks—and more than half a can of stout. Your friends and family may not be able to identify the beer, but its toasted malt flavor brings depth to every bite.

Related: Rich, Moist Brownie Recipes

These bars are a grown-up spin on a campfire classic: buttery graham cracker crust, chocolate mousse, toasty meringue.

No doubt, this is a chocolate-lover's cake, richly flavored and crusted on the outside with a coating of mini chips and a dusting of cocoa powder. The recipe comes from Nathaniel Reid Bakery in St. Louis.

Related: Try Nathaniel Reid's Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

Chocolate cravings have met their match: In 15 minutes, you can melt six ingredients into the thickest, gooiest ice cream topping.

Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar.

The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly.

Related: Make Your Best Pie Ever

This recipe has been perfected through the years. We think you'll agree that it is the moistest, richest, "chocolatiest" cake ever. Of the many ways to frost it, we vote for our classic Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting— though you can certainly use your family's favorite.

Related: Ultimate Cake Recipes

Using an easy method from Pete's Chocolate Co. in Detroit, you can make a dazzling array of rich, creamy chocolate truffles. (Note: The yield varies depending if you use bittersweet, milk or white chocolate, so read the recipe carefully before starting. And know that you can double it if desired.)

Related: Delectable Candies and Treats

This utterly unforgettable autumn cake layers moist chocolate-pumpkin cake, luscious milk chocolate ganache and fluffy pumpkin-spice whipped cream. The recipe comes from Minnesota blogger Amanda Rettke (iambaker.net). See a short video about how to make this cake.

Caramel in the bottom of the pan melds with the brownie, creating a dessert so rich and gooey that you need a spoon to serve it. Because cast iron holds heat, the brownie will still be warm when you go back for seconds.

Say hello to your new sinfully rich dinner-party standby. Bonus: It's gluten-free. (Try our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!)

These soft, no-restraint chocolate chip cookies pack in cocoa powder, chocolate chips and a very chocolatey chocolate frosting.

We used a cake mix in the crust for this creamy chocolate dessert from the former Chocolate Cafe and Coffee House in Missouri. The recipe makes a generous 24 bars, so it's perfect for a potluck.

A dollop of whipped cream foam crowns this rich, chocolatey mousse. For maximum fun, serve the mousse in mugs.

Sheer three-layered audacity put this creation from a Saint Paul bakery in our hall of fame: buttermilk-cocoa cake, candylike chocolate frosting and creamy caramel sauce. 

These easy candies look elegant but are simple to make. This holiday dessert recipe comes from the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio. 

Seedless raspberry preserves and chopped toasted hazelnuts add a little crunch and sweet-sour pop to fudge brownies. 

This rich bread pudding made in the slow cooker has deep chocolate flavor, thanks to a combo of chocolate chips and cocoa powder. The simple strawberry sauce has just two ingredients.

Related: Divine Slow-Cooker Desserts

Just three ingredients go into this quick dessert: sweetened condensed milk, caramel ice cream topping and chocolate. Vary your dippers to match the mood of your party.

Begging for a crown of birthday candles, this layer cake has two kitchen tricks working in its favor. Mayonnaise yields a moist crumb; sour cream keeps sugary buttercream in tangy check. (Note: This recipe makes enough frosting to fill and frost the entire cake [top and sides]. To leave the sides unfrosted as we did in our photograph, just make a half batch.

These brownies pack a coffee punch from coffee liqueuer (or strong brewed coffee) added to the batter as well as stirred into powdered sugar for drizzling on top. The final touch: a garnish of chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.

These warm, bittersweet puffs have coffee in them, but you'd never know it. Performing culinary sleight of hand, the hidden ingredient just helps chocolate taste more chocolatey, like a capful of vanilla would, but with a darker intent.

What goes best with chocolate? More chocolate. What goes best with our Triple-Chocolate Bread? Whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a glass of cold milk.

This luscious dessert includes a chocolate crumb crust and caramel-pecan filling crowned with melted chocolate.

We stirred chocolate-flavor malt powder into both the brownie base and the lush, fluffy topper. For an extra-indulgent dessert, substitute your favorite homemade brownie recipe. Just be sure it bakes in a 13x9x2-inch pan.

If mousse vacationed in a Sicilian villa, this is how it would taste when it came back. Olive oil lends sultry silkiness and fruity complexity. The apricot and pine nut topping is a sun-soaked (but optional) delight.

The key to a perfect homemade brownie is not overcooking it. Rather than a toothpick test, trust your eyes and nose to tell you when the brownie is set. The center will stay ever-so-slightly moist.

Wrapping the crepes into fruit-filled bundles means that you can assemble them ahead, store them in the fridge, and then zap them in the microwave before serving. (Plus, it's fun to cut in and see the ruby filling spill out.) But for a speedy and pretty variation, just fold the crepes into quarters and top with the cherries and ice cream.

Assemble this quick-and-easy dessert while your main dish cooks. Just before serving, toast the sweet sandwich until the chocolate filling is warm and gooey.