The way to my wife’s heart is easy – Chocolate. Because of this, and my own love of it, I have many recipes that involve chocolate. I will be posting all of them at some point, but the most recent recipe is also the one everyone seems to enjoy the most – Chocolate Lava Cake.
Guys, this recipe will score you major points with the ladies and is extremely easy to make. The only thing that might deter you from making it is the fact that you need to bake it in ramekins (basically a small ceramic bowl). I’ve heard of people making lava cakes in ceramic coffee mugs, and that might work for this recipe too, but I’ve not tried it. And to be honest, ramekins aren’t that expensive (especially on Amazon) and they’re great for other dishes, or even as bowls for dip, so get yourself some; you’ll use them. This recipe will make 4 small (~half filled), 3 good sized (~3/4 filled), or 2 “my” sized (full) servings.
Ingredients
- butter (as needed) to coat the inside of the ramekins
- 4 eggs (2 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate (chopped or chips)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Completely cover the inside of the desired (5 1/2 ounce) ramekins with butter. I keep these in the fridge while I mix the batter.
- Separate the two egg yolks first, in case you break the yolks you can still use it as one of the whole eggs.
- Blend together egg yolks, eggs, and sugar in a bowl, preferable with a hand mixer, but a whisk will work.
- Melt chocolate and 1/3 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 1-2 minutes, checking every 15-20 seconds. Time required will vary depending on your microwave. Do not over-heat.
- Stir melted chocolate mixture into egg and sugar mixture until combined.
- Mix in cocoa powder.
- Add flour, salt and vanilla extract into the mixture and continue blending.
- Spoon or pour mixture evenly between the buttered ramekins. For the best presentation you can gently tap the ramekins on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (but you can prepare even a day in advance and leave in the fridge over night).
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Place the ramekins in a casserole dish. I’ve found that 4-6 ramekins fit nicely in a 9″x13″ dish but I use a smaller 8″x8″ if I’m doing less. Pour enough hot tap water into the casserole dish (not into the ramekins) to reach halfway up however far you filled the ramekins.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
Additional Thoughts:
- If you buttered the ramekins well you should be able to remove the cake by loosening the edges with a knife and inverting onto a plate before dusting with powdered sugar. This looks a little more fancy but also makes an extra dish so I usually just serve in the ramekins.
- Separating eggs really isn’t that hard, just watch a few you tube videos and take your time.
- Using this recipe to make 3 servings seems to be the best amount for most people
- The inside is supposed to me gooey / runny, that’s what makes it lava cake. But you can adjust the cooking time to get your desired texture.
- I suggest making this once or twice before you try to make it to impress anyone else. I’ve never had it come out bad but it’s best to know what to expect from your oven.
Keyboard Monkeys 