Chocolate lava cake

When I was asked to contribute something for this week’s event planning section, I knew immediately that I would share my chocolate lava cake recipe for two main reasons: It’s both decadent and effortless.

A lava cake is similar to a rich brownie with a warm, gooey center. This may seem like the kind of dessert you would order in a fancy restaurant but it takes less than 10 minutes to make at home. If you can bake a pan of brownies, you can easily make this delicious cake. You can prepare the batter before dinner and pop it into the oven as you’re clearing the table.

The key to this recipe is serving it hot, so the more organized your kitchen is, the better. I always serve this with fresh whipped cream and berries, so I prepare those and refrigerate both bowls so they are ready to go.

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This recipe serves two. You can multiply it depending on your number of guests, but it’s nice to have a small recipe on hand for when you want to whip up something for someone special. This cake is so rich that I typically share one with my husband.

The batter is prepared in one bowl and then divided into ramekins for individual servings. If you don’t own ramekins, you can use any small baking dish or bowl as long as it’s ovenproof. When I make a large batch, I use small Pyrex prep bowls as extra ramekins.

These cakes bake for 11-13 minutes and should be served shortly after removing them from the oven. The longer you bake them, the more solid their centers will be. You can experiment by baking one for 11 minutes and another for 12 to see which you prefer, but don’t bake for longer than 13 minutes or it will be baked completely through.

For this recipe, I only use dark chocolate chips, which are pareve. I prefer to use real butter, but you can use a good quality, natural-tasting margarine or vegan butter and serve the cakes with pareve whipped cream or ice cream if you want to serve them after a meat meal.

Ingredients:
3 ounces (just shy of a half-cup) dark chocolate or chocolate chips
2 ½ tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ teaspoon per ramekin for dusting
1 large egg plus one egg yolk, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon good quality pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
2 ½ tablespoons flour

Preheat the oven to 400 F and place the wire rack in the middle of the oven.

Carefully microwave the butter and chocolate together, checking it every 30 seconds, or cook the butter and chocolate together on the stovetop using a double boiler method. Stir the butter and chocolate together very well once they are melted. I always do this on the stovetop, which allows me a few more minutes to measure the ingredients and prepare the ramekins.

Lightly grease the ramekins with butter or margarine before adding ½ teaspoon of sugar per ramekin.

Turn the ramekin on its side and turn it around so the butter is completely dusted in sugar.

Whisk the egg and egg yolk very well and set aside. (I suggest using pasteurized eggs since the center of the cakes will not be cooked through like a regular cake.)

Add the sugar to the melted chocolate and mix well. The chocolate will be hot to the touch.
Temper the egg mixture into the chocolate; that means pour it very slowly, about a teaspoon at a time, into the bowl of chocolate while constantly stirring. If you do this slowly, the egg will not curdle.

Once the egg is incorporated, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the flour and salt all at once and mix until the batter is glossy and well combined.

Divide the batter between the ramekins. They can rest on the counter for up to an hour if you want to prepare this before dinner.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. The top of the cake should look solid and pull away from the edges of the ramekin.

Let this rest on top of the stove for 1-2 minutes before turning out onto a dessert plate. I find it’s easier to use a folded kitchen towel rather than oven mitts to handle the ramekins. Lay the plate over the ramekin, using the towel to hold the ramekin while flipping, then lift off the ramekin to serve.

If you’re making more than two of these at a time, you can flip them all onto plates, but leave the ramekins over the cake until just before serving to keep in the heat.

Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream. Fresh raspberries or strawberries add the perfect touch. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.