Chocolate Lava Cakes
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Lava Cakes
With a little guidance from their parents, our mini-chefs successfully tempered chocolate and discovered the magic of air as a leavening agent — whisking eggs until they were thick, frothy, and pale. It was a joy to see their participation in the kitchen!
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) + more for buttering the ramekins
Bittersweet chocolate bars, high quality (60% cacao), 6oz
Eggs, 4 (2 whole + 2 yolks)
Light brown sugar, 1⁄4 cup
Vanilla extract, dash
Salt, dash
All-purpose flour, 2 tbl (may substitute GF fl
Recipe
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (slightly lower oven to 425 degrees if your oven runs hot)
Generously grease ramekins with butter (I like to take a tab of butter with a paper towel and really coat the sides and bottom well, where the butter is still visible). Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine bittersweet chocolate and 1 stick of butter in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds, stirring in-between, until melted. Mixing bowl should never be hot to the touch.
In another mixing bowl, combine eggs (2 yolks and 2 whole eggs) with light brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Using your standing mixer or hand mixer, beat on medium/high speed until thick and pale yellow (generally about 4 minutes). Mixture should be frothy and thick.
Add the chocolate into the egg mixture, along with 2 tablespoons of AP flou
Fold together the mixture until combined. Be careful not to deflate the mixture, as you just worked hard to incorporate a lot of air!
Transfer the batter into the greased ramekins, trying to equally divide the batter amongst six ramekins.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the sides of the cakes are set, but the center is still jiggly.
Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1-2 minutes.
Using a butter knife, gently slide the knife around the perimeter of each cake to ensure the cake is loosened and ready to be flippe
Place a small plate over the top of each ramekin and carefully flip it over. Invert the cake onto t plate.
Gently use your knife to knock the bottom of the ramekin before lifting the ramekin to unmold the cake.
Garnish the cake by sifting powdered sugar on top and by adding a few fresh berries for a pop of color.
Serve immediately, enjoy the lava!
