When we plan a dinner party, there’s careful consideration as to the flow of the evening especially towards the end. We want our friends to be able to walk away feeling satiated but not stuffed to the gills and about to go into a food coma! Choosing the right dessert makes for a fitting end to the evening.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like a sweet now and then but more often than not, we like to end our meals with an assortment of cheese and fruit washed down with a glass of port, Gewürztraminer, sherry, or moscato. However, this lava cake recipe is one you must make! It’s super easy, not too heavy, and using good quality dark chocolate cuts out the overly sweet tones of milk chocolate (I am not a fan of milk chocolate). When you take your first cut, be prepared for the chocolate to ooze out. Your friends will talk about this all evening!
Serves 6
adapted from The TIBS Guide To Desserts
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1) Preheat oven to 425f.
2) Grease 6 (6oz.) custard or ramekin cups with butter. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave. Whisk until smooth.
3) Whisk in the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture.
4) In a bowl, beat eggs and yolks until combined. Add to chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Stir in the vanilla.
5) Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups and bake in the oven 12 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates. Serve with fruit such as raspberries, gooseberries (shown), strawberries, or grated orange zest and top with lightly whipped cream or good quality ice cream.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Oh my stars, these were absolutely de-li-cious! Tara, TIBS baker extraordinaire, says the cakes should look firm but if you tap the top and it feels sticky or see any movement (wobbly), then they’re not quite ready. I baked the cakes 2 minutes longer as the tops were a bit sticky to touch. Perhaps that was 2 minutes too long. However, I still had a soft, gooey center but not as gushy as I had planned. I slathered the custard cups with butter and as a precaution I dusted them with sugar…I was not taking any chances that the cakes would stick and they didn’t! From start to finish, these lava cakes are ready in less than 30 minutes. Enjoy!
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