Whether your Valentine’s Day plans are set or not, this Molten Lava Chocolate Cake is one not to be missed. If you’ll be home this week, you can even make this with your kiddos, or wow that special someone with the baking skills they never knew you had.
Thanks to Rebecca Oren, local mom of 3, and graduate of the French Culinary Institute, who promises us this one is fool-proof! More to come from Rebecca, who will be a regular WestportMoms contributor!
Perfect Molten Chocolate Cake (Serves: 4)
These decadent molten cakes are a perfect treat for a Valentine’s Day dinner! In addition to looking beautiful, they come together quickly with just a few ingredients and don’t require much special equipment. Locally, you can find 4 oz ramekins at Williams Sonoma in downtown Westport or Cook’s Nook on Danbury Road in Wilton.
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the molds
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips work well)
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons flour, plus more for dusting the molds
Melt butter and chocolate in a heat-safe bowl set over a double boiler. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and add 2 more yolks. Add the sugar, and beat or whisk by hand until light and thick, about 1 minute. Slowly combine egg mixture and 2 teaspoons flour with the melted chocolate; beat until combined. Butter and lightly flour inside of four 4-ounce molds or ramekins. Tap out any excess flour. Divide the batter among the molds. When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 450. Put the molds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still jiggle slightly when shaken, 7 to 9 minutes. Don’t overbake!* Let sit for 1 minute. Put a plate on top of the ramekin and (with a potholder to protect your hand) carefully turn it over so the cake and ramekin rest on the plate. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then lift up the ramekin. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with ice cream or whipped cream.
*8 minutes was just right when baking 4 of these cakes in my oven, but it took nearly 10 minutes when I baked a dozen cakes at once for a crowd. Check the cakes every 30 seconds near the end by jiggling the baking sheet. The middle should look barely set.
