Photo: Ben Dearnley
In our Easter 2026 issue, we dedicated a whole feature to chocolate recipes, because nothing says Easter celebrations quite like the decadent delight. This chocolate Dutch baby with roasted rhubarb was amongst other choc-laden crowd-pleasers, from coconut scrolls and fudgy cookies to rich pear tart and cheesecake.
What is a Dutch baby, you ask? A dutch baby (or German pancake) is a large, oven-baked pancake that puffs up in a hot skillet, with a soft, crepe-like centre and crisp edges. Here, Emma Knowles laces it with chocolate and tempers the sweetness with a roasted rhubarb topping.
“A Dutch baby is the best kind of dessert – simple to make and serve. Just pop it in the middle of the table with all its toppings and you’re good to go,” says Knowles. “It will deflate quickly, but don’t worry, that’s part of it!”
Note: The rhubarb can be prepared a couple of days in advance and refrigerate until required; you can warm before serving if desired.
Ingredients
Method
For chocolate sauce, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then cook without stirring, brushing down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until a dark caramel forms (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat; carefully add cream and liqueur (be careful as hot caramel will spit). Return to heat, stir to combine and bring back to a simmer. Add chocolate and ¾ tsp salt flakes, remove from heat, stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.
Preheat oven to 200°C. For roasted rhubarb, toss rhubarb, sugar, liqueur, rind, juice and cinnamon in a bowl to combine. Spread in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast until tender, sticky and slightly scorched (20-25 minutes). Set aside (see note).
Sieve flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl, then add sugar and ½ tsp salt flakes. Transfer to a blender with milk and eggs, and blend until smooth. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Add butter to a 20cm-diameter ncast iron skillet and place in oven until butter melts and turns nut-brown (4-5 minutes). Carefully add batter to pan and bake until puffed and set around the edges (15-20 minutes), scattering the top with chocolate in the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve immediately, topped with roasted rhubarb, ice-cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce
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