Chocolate Lava Cakes

Equipment needed:

  • 2- 6 oz ramekins
  • Double boiler
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Plastic wrap or cover for bowl
  • Slim knife for releasing cakes
  • Baking sheet
  • Pot holders
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients:

    For ramekins:

  1. Butter

  2. Raw or turbinado sugar
  3. Grease ramekins with butter and coat with raw or turbinado sugar. (Granulated sugar also works here if you don’t want to go out and get a special ingredient just for this.) Set aside. Preheat oven to 425°F.


    For Ganache:

  • 2 oz dark chocolate
  • 2 oz heavy cream

  • Melt chocolate over double boiler. Slowly add cream while stirring. Continue stirring until mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency and is smooth and glossy. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 1 hour.

    For cakes:

  1. 3 ½ oz bittersweet or dark chocolate
  2. 4 tbsp butter
  3. 3 tbsp brown sugar
  4. 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
  5. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  6. 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  7. 2 tbsp flour

  8. Melt chocolate and butter over double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

    Whip eggs and brown sugar until frothy (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla extract and kosher salt and whip again. Whip in flour until thoroughly combined. Slowly add warm chocolate mixture to egg mixture, stirring to incorporate and being careful not to overheat eggs.

    Fill ramekins halfway with cake mixture. Remove ganache from freezer and scoop 1-2 tbsp into each ramekin. Fill ramekin with remaining cake mixture, covering ganache. Place ramekins on baking sheet in

    oven and bake for 11-14 minutes, or until cakes are puffed and dry around edges. They may still be a bit soft in centers.

    Remove ramekins from pan and cool slightly on racks (2 minutes). Run knife around edge of cake to release it from ramekin. Place plate on top of ramekin and invert. Remove ramekin. Dust cake with powdered sugar and serve with fresh whipped cream (or ice cream) and fresh berries.