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Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Amber Flinton

“Chocolate lava cake is not just undercooked cake. That’s not what makes the center molten. You take a frozen cylinder of ganache, and you set it in the ramekin so that as the outside cooks fully, the inside becomes molten. It’s F***ing MOLTEN, see!” -Carl Casper (played by Jon Favreau) in Chef

I have a confession. I don’t really like cake. To me, the crumbly texture of cake just doesn’t really do it for me, and neither does sickly sweet buttercream frosting. I’m not the first in line for birthday cake, or cupcakes, or coffee cake.

But here and there, I do find some cakes that I can really go bananas over. Carrot cake is one. I can’t resist a good carrot cake. I also have an apple coffee cake recipe that’s enriched with cream cheese, and it’s to die for. And then there’s a really good, rich chocolate cake with ganache frosting. That cake has my name written all over it. But molten chocolate lava cake is my favorite cake of all. It’s basically that afore mentioned dark chocolate cake with ganache, but flipped inside out and served gooey warm. It’s completely irresistible.

There are two methods for making lava cake. One is basically to preserve raw cake batter in the center of the cake so that it melts out upon opening. The other way is to encase frozen chocolate ganache inside the cake batter. I prefer the latter method as it’s more reliable, and I like the difference in texture and flavor between the cake crumb and the melty ganache.

I have adapted this recipe from the one used in one of my favorite movies, Chef. If you’ve never seen it, the epigraph at the beginning of this post is an excerpt from a very heated scene between Carl Casper, the titular “Chef,” and a scathing food critic. Obviously the lava cake was the star of the scene, and I would have to agree with Casper; not only does the ganache come out beautifully molten, but this cake is absolutely worthy of a five star review from anybody lucky enough to enjoy it.

A few tips on this recipe. Make the ganache first and freeze it for 1-2 hours. If you freeze it for too long, it will be difficult to scoop out. If that happens, just let the ganache warm up on the counter for 10-15 minutes before scooping. Also, be sure to butter the ramekins generously and then to coat them well with raw sugar. The thick crystals help the cake to turn easily out of the ramekins, and they add an amazing, caramelized crust to the outer layer of the cake. Finally, the cakes cook quickly so be sure to have your berries, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and soft whipped cream ready for plating. You want to serve these beauties warm and while their center is at its most liquid lovely.

Equipment:

  • Double boiler or a heat proof bowl and sauce pan

  • 6, 4oz. ramekins

  • Baking sheet

Ingredients:

  • 3oz. good quality dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate, finely chopped

  • 3oz heavy cream

  • 10 oz. good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter + more for buttering ramekins

  • 6 eggs

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar

  • Raw sugar for dusting ramekins

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 2 TBS. Grand Marnier

  • 6 TBS. all-purpose flour

  • Quartered strawberries, blueberries, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and soft whipped cream for plating

Method:

  1. Make the ganache. In a microwave safe dish heat the heavy cream for 30 seconds on high in the microwave. Remove the cream from the microwave, add the 3 oz. of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, return to the microwave, and heat again for 30 more seconds. Take the dish out and stir the chocolate well. If the chocolate has not yet melted after stirring for a minute, then return it to the microwave and heat again for 15 more seconds. Continue stirring and heating in 15 second increments until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir until the cream and chocolate are fully blended, then place the ganache in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Do not over heat the chocolate.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Generously butter the ramekins and then liberally coat them in raw sugar. Be sure to coat all over and up the rim in butter and sugar. Place the ramekins on the baking sheet evenly apart.

  3. Melt the 10oz of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the double boiler. Be sure to stir continuously, and remove the chocolate from the heat as soon as it’s fully melted. Set it aside to cool slightly.

  4. Vigorously whisk the eggs and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is light and frothy with bubbles, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and Grand Marnier, and whisk more.

  5. Very, very slowly add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture, whisking continuously to avoid curdling the eggs. Once all the chocolate is added, stir in the flour until combined.

  6. Pour the cake batter just below half way up each of the prepared ramekins. Then place 1-2 TBS. of ganache in the center of each ramekin. Pour the remaining cake batter over the ganache. Make sure to completely cover the ganache. You can fill the ramekins all the way up to the rim with batter. Use the back of a spoon to gently smooth the surface of each cake into an even plane.

  7. Bake for exactly 11 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set the ramekins on a wire cooling rack. Run a thin knife or angled spatula around the edges of each ramekin to loosen the cakes, if needed. Turn the cakes out onto a plate, and garnish with whipped cream, berries, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Binging with Babish