Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake - yummmmm! Even the name of this delicious dessert oozes of sweet, ambrosial, warm chocolate-filled decadence. The enticing dark-brown outer cake layer hides a treasure of hot, gooey chocolate filling that oozes out as a river of molten chocolate as you break the cake. This delectable chocolate temptation is combined with ice-cream/whipped cream along with strawberries/raspberries and served as an exquisite dessert in high-end restaurants. And rightfully so, for it is a gourmet's delight - one bite of this delectable dessert is sure to infuse warm, sweet mellowness that will spread through your senses & transport you straight to chocolate heaven!

Best served hot straight from the oven, these delicious cakes are quick to make, and once you know the correct preparation style you will see that they are not so hard to bake at home. Fortunately for you, I have done the hard work of figuring out the right preparation style through multiple attempts :) I perfected my composition after trying out multiple recipes on the great internet, and finding all of them lacking in one thing or other - no molten chocolate flowing out, crust too hard, too eggy, incomplete recipes,  the list goes on...

You will feel like a proud master baker once you have delivered this culinary pièce de résistance to the dining table - and make sure to practice your bow and your "oh-it-was-nothing" words as you receive the tons of accolades that are sure to come your way from your amazed & grateful family & friends. After all, who can resist the temptation of intense bitter-sweet chocolate flavors blending with warm, moist cake? Why would anyone even want to resist? So go ahead and try it out, and bring your chocolate fantasies to life :)

MOLTEN  CHOCOLATE  LAVA  CAKE  RECIPE

Serves : 4

Ingredients:
1 stick  (4 oz) unsalted Butter
2 tbsp All purpose Flour (Maida)
6 ounces Bitter-sweet Baking Chocolate (see tip #2)
2 Eggs
2 Egg yolks
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
A pinch of Salt
2 tbsp powdered Sugar / Confectioners sugar for dusting

How to make Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter & lightly flour four 5.5-ounce ramekins or custard cups. 
2. Place butter & baking chocolate into a large microwave-safe bowl & microwave for 1 minute. Stir until butter and chocolate are smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until thick, pale & fluffy.
4. With a wire whisk gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, just until incorporated. Sift the flour into the chocolate mixture then stir until just combined. Do not over-mix or the batter will deflate.
5. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared ramekins & place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 11-12 minutes or until the sides are set but center is still soft (not jiggly)
6. Let the cakes cool for 2 minutes, then place an inverted plate on top of each ramekin. Carefully turn it over & unmold the cakes gently onto the serving plates. Sprinkle the top of each cake with confectioners sugar.  Serve immediately along with a dollop of vanilla ice cream / whipped cream & berries.

Tips:

1. You can prepare the chocolate mixture a couple of hours in advance of serving. Place the prepared mixture into ramekins, cover ramekins with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bake just before serving - the refrigerated batter may take an extra minute or two to bake.
2. If you do not like the taste of Bitter-sweet Chocolate, you may substitute it with Semi-sweet Chocolate.