Skip to the method
Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Chocolate Terrine

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.41 from 46 ratings French
A chocolate terrine is a lovely decadent dessert that can also be made a few days in advance or be enjoyed a few days after being made. It is also one of those lovely desserts you can make well in advance for a special function or get together without having too many things on your plate while preparing for the special event. It is also a dream dessert from a chefs point of view because you can make it and freeze it and take it out when needed. Being a long time in the hospitality industry myself, as you cook longer year by year, you later on try to work out menus accordingly on how long it takes to make them. If you can save up time by making a terrine or a semifreddo , you can spend more time on some other items on your menu. Most of the time people do not think much of chefs, but I can assure you that you get experience in several skills except cooking and baking while being a chef! With all the lovely types of berries and fruits in our summer season here in South-Africa over the festive season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can definitely try this out by making it over the festive season for either Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Years Eve!
A dense and rich chocolate terrine dessert sliced on a modern serving board.
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Total 1 h
Serves 8

Jump to the method

Ingredients

  • 250 g dark chocolate of good quality
  • 170 ml icing sugar
  • 180 g butter
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 125 ml cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 125 ml cream, whipped

Method

  1. Prepare a terrine/ bread tin with cling film and set it aside for later use

  2. Prepare a sauce pan one third full of water and bring to a boil

  3. Then reduce heat to let water simmer

  4. In a stainless steel bowl: Add the chocolate and place the bowl on top of the sauce pan ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water(au Bain Marie)

  5. Let the chocolate melt

  6. Add the sugar and butter and whisk well with the chocolate until you get a soft, smooth texture

  7. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time

  8. Beat in the cocoa powder and allow to cool for about 5 minutes

  9. You can stir the mixture quite often

  10. In a separate bowl, add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff

  11. Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture

  12. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks and fold it into the chocolate mixture as well

  13. Pour the mixture into the lined terrine/bread tin and set in the freezer overnight

  14. When serving, carefully turn the terrine out and take the cling film wrap off

  15. Slice and serve with orange creme anglaise, orange sauce, whipped cream and peanut brittle or anything else of your choice

More desserts