Description
Chocolate lava cake is served warm with a gooey chocolate center. Serve the cakes with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgent dessert that is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other celebration.
Ingredients
- baking spray
- 6 ounces (1 cup) dark chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
- 5 ounces butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- optional: 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs, room temp
- 2 egg yolks, room temp
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (see notes)
Serving options
- fresh raspberries
- fresh strawberries, sliced, or cut in half
- fresh mint leaves
- a few scoops of vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease four 6 – 8 ounce oven safe ramekins generously with the baking spray. Place the greased ramekins onto a baking sheet, set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter: Add the chocolate and butter to a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 second increments, stirring in between each one, until everything is melted. Alternately you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once everything is melted sir in the coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and instant coffee until well combined. If the sugar doesn’t seem like it’s mixing well give it another 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside.
- Whip the eggs: Crack the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a medium sized mixing bowl to use a hand mixer with). Whip on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the eggs become fluffy and turn a pale yellow.
- Combine: While using a spatula to stir the eggs with one hand gradually pour the chocolate into the eggs. It’s important to do this slowly while mixing to bring the cold eggs gradually up to a warm temperature so that the eggs don’t scramble.
- Add the flour: Once the chocolate has been added gently fold in the flour just until well mixed, don’t over mix.
- Transfer: I like to use a spring loaded ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to the greased ramekins. Divide the batter evenly between each ramekin (about 2 ice cream scoops per ramekin).
- Bake: Place the cakes on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes – depending on your oven. You will know they are done when the cakes look baked and dry on the outside, but the center is slightly jiggly. Be sure not to over bake otherwise they won’t be lava cakes. However, they will still be delicious chocolate cakes, just without a gooey center.
- Cool: Cool the cakes for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove the cakes: If you notice that the top of the edges of the cake are still stuck to the sides of the ramekin carefully use a butter knife to help release the edges from the side of the ramekin – don’t stick the knife all the way down the ramekin because the bottoms are much more delicate. Carefully use an oven mitt or towel to pick up the still hot ramekins. Place your serving plate upside down over top of the cake, carefully use both hands to flip the cake and the plate right side up – the cake should gradually release from the ramekin on it’s own. Repeat this with the remaining cakes.
- Finish: Add a few scoops of ice cream to the sides of the cakes, if desired. Along with the raspberries, strawberries or fresh mint leaves.
- Serve: Serve immediately while the cakes are warm. If baked perfectly once you cut into the cakes the center will be gooey and warm while the outside will be a perfectly baked cake texture. So good!
Notes
Gluten free: To keep this recipe gluten free use an all purpose gluten free flour blend. I had success with Bob’s Red Mill’s 1 to 1 baking flour.
Make ahead: You can make these cakes in advance, fill the ramekins, cover them, and store them in the fridge for up to 1 day. Allow them to come to room temp for at least 2 hours before baking.
Reheat: If you don’t plan to serve all 4 cakes at the same time you can re-heat them. Allow the cakes to cool completely, cover and store on the counter or up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on a low power level for 30 second increments until the cake is warm. Remove the cake onto a plate. We did not have success with the cake still being gooey in the center with this, it turned into a fully baked cake, but still a delicious baked cake. However, if you practice with the power level of your microwave and timing you could nail it. Let me know in the comments if it works out for you.
