Words Joan Saunders
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
I have always thought that Lava Cakes were quite a sexy, sort of dramatic dessert.
After all, cutting them open and having chocolate ooze out onto a dessert plate is a gorgeous way to end a meal. What most people don’t know about this treat is that it’s very simple to make and if you want to impress the chocolate lovers in your life this Valentine’s Day, this is the perfect way to do just that.
And what’s even better about these individual cakes is that you can pre-make them (up to a day or two ahead of time) and just put them in the oven when the main course is complete. To have them ready to go ahead of time, make the batter, divide it up into the ramekins, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, just take them out of the fridge, remove the wrap and add a couple of minutes of extra time in the oven.
What I’ve also learned about making these is that you don’t want to pack the flour into the measuring spoon; you want to ensure that it remains fluffy as too much flour will make the centre firm and not oozy enough. After all, that’s why you’re making them: for the drama as well as the scrumptious, chocolate flavour.
Also, make sure that the oven is fully preheated before you put the tray of ramekins in to bake. What the high temperature does is ensure that the outside cooks faster than the inside. This will help to perfectly bake the exterior layers of the cake, while keeping the centre still gooey. But keep an eye on the cakes while they’re in the oven, as you don’t want them to overbake. Remember that the centre should still be jiggly.
If you’ve forgotten to take your eggs out of the fridge and they’re too cold, you can always put them in a bowl of warm tap water. You want room temperature eggs for this recipe so that they mix nicely into the batter. Having room temperature eggs also helps to avoid over-mixing.
I like to serve the Lava Cakes with some accompaniments. Make a strawberry, raspberry or sour cherry compote ahead of time and let people add as much or as little as they desire. With fruit and a big dollop of whipped cream, you’ve got yourself a fantastic, rich dessert that is sure to impress with its chocolatey goodness and, yes, some delicious dessert drama.
Lava Cakes (makes four in 6 oz ramekins)
½ cup unsalted butter, chopped up into smaller chunks
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (I use about 70%), broken up into smaller pieces
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks,
room temperature
¼ cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tbsp all purpose flour (do not pack the flour; keep it light)
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly flour four 6 oz ramekins. Put them on a baking sheet.
Combine the chopped chocolate and the chunks of butter in a double boiler and melt over low heat, stirring until it’s all melted and smooth. If you don’t have a double boiler, put a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water. Or you could always put the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Whisk it together until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is thick and a pale yellow in colour (this will take about 4-5 minutes). Fold the flour as well as the chocolate and butter mix into the beaten egg mixture until it’s very well combined.
Divide the batter as evenly as possible between the prepared ramekins.
Bake in the preheated oven on the tray until the sides are set but the centre is still jiggly. This will take about 9-12 minutes. Take the cakes out of the oven and let sit for 2 minutes to cool a bit. Then take a small sharp knife and run it around the edges of the cake to make sure it’s going to come out of the ramekin.
Place a small dessert plate on top of each ramekin and carefully turn it over, inverting the cake onto the plate. Let stand for about 10 seconds, then remove the ramekin to unmold the cakes. Dust the cakes with icing sugar, top with berries or whipped cream. Or both!
