Chocolate Lava Cakes
The one thing that sets these Lava Cakes apart from the rest? The molten centre isn’t just raw cake batter, it’s melted chocolate. No more stress about overcooking the molten centre – because chocolate will always ooze. And chocolate trumps raw cake batter in the texture and taste test, always!
Use a Lindt ball in place of the ganache. I’d use the dark chocolate balls (blue wrappers).
Ingredients
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE GANACHE CENTRE:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or melts/ semi sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
CAKE BATTER:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or melts / semi sweet chocolate chips
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (sub ordinary white sugar)
- 2 tbsp flour, plain / all purpose
TO SERVE:
- Ice cream or cream
- Cocoa or icing sugar / powdered sugar, for dusting
- Strawberries, raspberries or edible flowers, optional decoration
Instructions
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
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Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on high for three 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
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Let cool on the counter for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm enough to scoop into balls.
CAKE:
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Preheat oven to 390°F.
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Grease & dust ramekins molds: Grease 4 x 170ml / 5.75oz ramekins with butter then dust insides with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
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Melt chocolate and butter: Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Stir well until smooth, then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
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Whisk eggs and sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar.
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Combine with chocolate: Add the melted chocolate into the eggs, and mix until combined.
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Fold through flour: Add flour and fold through until just combined. Do not over-mix.
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Fill ramekin molds: Pour or scoop the batter into prepared molds until it reaches ⅓ of the way up.
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Drop in ganache: Place one generously-heaped teaspoon of ganache into middle of batter. Top with more batter until it reaches 1.5cm / ⅗” from the top rim. Repeat for remaining moulds.
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Bake 20 minutes: Place the molds on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until the pudding tops spring back when gently touched.
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Turn out: Stand for 2 minutes, then turn onto plate. Tap base then gently remove each mold.
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Serve with ice-cream or cream, dusted with cocoa powder. Decorate with strawberries!