Desserts
Dark Chocolate Molten Cakes
You might know these chocolate cakes as chocolate lava cakes or warm chocolate cakes, but regardless of their name, these seemingly modest cakes are big in flavor. Their big ta-da is that when you sink your spoon in, you’ll find molten, fudge-like centers.
Ingredients
COMBINE:
MELT:
BEAT:
It might be hard to believe these cakes can be improved, but some vanilla bean ice cream and a shaved chocolate garnish can do just that.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and cocoa; generously coat eight 4-oz. ramekins with butter-cocoa mixture. Arrange ramekins on a baking sheet.
Melt 1½ sticks butter and chocolate in a double boiler until nearly smooth. Off heat, stir in vanilla; let mixture cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat together eggs, egg yolks, and 6 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl with a mixer on high until batter lightens in color and thickens, 7 minutes. Add flour, espresso powder, and salt; beat 30 seconds more. Fold in cooled chocolate.
Spoon generous ⅓ cup batter into prepared ramekins.
Bake cakes until sides are set and centers are a little sunken and somewhat soft, 8–9 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cakes cool on baking sheet 30 seconds; carefully run a paring knife around edges of ramekins.
Cover each cake with an inverted dessert plate and carefully turn over. Let cakes cool in ramekins 5 minutes more; unmold and serve immediately.
For easy unmolding and added flavor, generously coat the molds with the butter-cocoa mixture.
For a light-textured cake, incorporate air into the batter by beating the eggs and sugar until thick and pale.
After inverting ramekins on plates, be sure to allow cakes to rest a few minutes — they’ll unmold better.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per cake
Calories: 395
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 50%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 178mg 7%
Carbs 26g 8%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 6g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.