Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake

Valentine’s Day Dessert

It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert, hot chocolate lava cake.  Chocolate is already by far the most provocative of all foods – an almost sinful indulgence that is eagerly anticipated at the end of a meal.  More over, the center of this dessert is warm and flowing, which creates an extraordinarily sensual chocolate experience for one of the most romantic days of the year.

Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of Volcanoes, is especially fond of this chocolate dessert. This lava cake is an almost flour-less chocolate dessert, with a slight soufflé texture on its exterior.  It is removed from the oven early so that when cut into it, the warm and thick liquid chocolate is exposed and trickles out.  Paired with ice cream, it creates a fudge-like texture in your mouth.

This molten chocolate invention has been most recently attributed to French Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, but premier pastry chef, Jacques Torres, who has an incredible knowledge of desserts, claims it originated in France.

Molten chocolate lava cake traditionally has only a few ingredients, so it is quick to prepare, yet is gourmet beyond belief.  The lava cakes are baked for a mere 13 minutes to achieve that volcanic lava effect. The batter can be made a few hours ahead of time and refrigerated.  When you are ready, simply bring batter to room temperature and bake as directed.

Remember

Always Stay in Touch With Your Inner Goddess!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ingredients for Chocolate Lava Cake

3 ounces Ghirardelli or Valrhona Semisweet Chocolate

3 ounce Ghirardelli or Valrhona Bittersweet Chocolate

1 stick (8 tablespoons butter)

2 Large Eggs at room temperature

2 Large Egg Yolks at room temperature

1 cup Powdered Sugar

¼ cup of Unbleached Hecker’s® Flour

Pinch of salt

Butter and Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for greasing and dusting ramekins

And for serving

Ice cream

Raspberry sauce

Powdered sugar

Caramel or Whipped cream

 Makes 4 – 6 ounce ramekins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Butter and lightly dust with unsweetened cocoa, four - 6 ounce ramekins. 

Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Break up chocolate and cut up butter and gently melt together in a double boiler over simmering hot water. Do not to fill the pan too high with water, you do not want the water splashing into the chocolate.

Stir occasionally and remove just before completely melted. 

Stir to finish melting and set aside.

Beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and pinch of salt on high speed until eggs are pale and begin to thicken.

Add the flour and blend in.

Fold the chocolate into the egg mixture.

Spoon evenly into the ramekins about 4/5 full and bake on pastry sheet for 13 minutes. 

Remove promptly.

Have four dessert plates ready and after only 1 minute (so the chocolate doesn’t solidify!) use heat proof gloves, place a dessert plate over each ramekin and invert.  Allow to sit a few seconds.

Keeping heat proof gloves on, lift the ramekin off the cakes carefully, taking precautions (such as using a fork to help raise the ramekins)

Serve with ice cream, raspberry sauce or puree, caramel, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and or whipped cream.

*Batter can be made a few hours ahead of time, placed in the ramekins and refrigerated.  Remove ramekins from refrigerator about an hour before serving, to bring to room temperature, and then bake as directed.