It doesn't get more delicious than infamous chocolate lava cake. With a cakey exterior and irresistible warm chocolate caramel center, it's the perfect individual dessert for dinner parties and special occasions. It's surprisingly easy to make, and ready in an hour!
Ingredients
Chocolate Caramel
5ouncessemi-sweet chocolate
1cupsugar
2tablespoonswater
⅓ cupheavy cream, at room temperature
2tablespoonsbutter, cut into small pieces
1teaspoonsea salt
Lava Cake
Butter and cocoa powder, for greasing and dusting ramekins
½cupbutter
10ouncessemi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
3largeeggs
3largeegg yolks
½ cupall-purpose flour
½ cuppowdered sugar
¼ cupcocoa powder
1teaspoonsea salt
Maldon sea salt
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make chocolate caramel
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water.
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Add the sugar and water to a large pot over medium heat (make sure the pot is large, it will bubble up lots). Cook until it is dark amber in color and reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit then remove the pot from the heat.
1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water
All at once add the whipping cream. Be very careful as it will steam and bubble ferociously. Whisk the mixture until the bubbling stops and the mixture is smooth. Add the melted chocolate and whisk till combined. Stir in butter and salt.
⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt
To make the lava cake
Liberally butter 4 (¾-cup) ramekins. Dusk each with cocoa powder and tap upside down to remove excess.
Butter and cocoa powder
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
½ cup butter, 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks.
3 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
When the chocolate has melted (allow it to cool for several minutes if it is hot) add it to the eggs and stir well. Then add the flour mixture and mix until it's smooth.
Fill each ramekin halfway full with the cake batter. Then, place a small tablespoon of caramel on top and sprinkle it with a little Maldon salt. Cover with cake batter until ½ inch from the top of the ramekin.
Maldon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cakes for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen. Hold a plate over the top of each ramekin. Using oven mitts, turn the plate and ramekin over together so that the ramekin is inverted on the plate. Carefully remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins and dust with icing sugar.
Powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
The cake is delicious both with and without the salted caramel.You will have more caramel than you need. Spoon the extra over the cakes after they come out of the oven, or just eat it by the spoonful :)To clean the pot you made the caramel in, fill it with water and put it on the stove till the sugar has once again melted.These can be made up to three days ahead of time. Store filled ramekins in the fridge and bring to room temperature before baking.The baking time can vary considerably depending on the size of your ramekins (see story above). If this amount of cake batter fills many more than 4 (please please) reduce the amount of time they spend in the oven so they do not cook all the way through!