Molten Chocolate Cakes (for Two)

Molten Chocolate Cake broken open on a white plate with berries, cream and caramel garnish.

Decadent, velvety, elegant and thoroughly irresistible molten chocolate cakes are the perfect date night dessert - an impressive, classy, individually plated dessert that is whisked together in a matter of minutes using only a single bowl and pantry staples, leaving plenty of time to focus on a romantic evening.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword chocolate, elegant, molten, one bowl, quick, valentine, Valentine's Day

Category Cakes

Baking Ambition Adventurous

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 10

Total Time 18

Servings

Calories 470kcal

Equipment

2 4-ounce oven-safe ramekins
medium bowl (heat/microwave safe)

Ingredients

56 g butter
56 g bittersweet chocolate chopped (72%)
⅛ tsp espresso powder
16 g sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
15 g cake flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Thoroughly butter and flour your ramekins (I like to use a mixture of flour and cocoa powder, this avoids any white residue on the exterior of the cake)
In a medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate and espresso powder. Using a microwave (or placing the bowl over a pot of simmering water) heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring until well combined and smooth.
56 g butter, 56 g bittersweet chocolate, 1/8 tsp espresso powder
Whisk in the remaining ingredients into the chocolate butter mixture in the following order: sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, egg yolk and flour. Make sure each ingredient is fully incorporated before moving on to the next, the final batter will be thick and glossy.
16 g sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 15 g cake flour
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared ramekins (about 105g of batter per ramekin)
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (6-8 minutes on convection bake). The very edges of the cake will be dry and slightly puffed, the center will remain glossy and wet looking - do not be tempted to bake the cake any longer or it will lose the molten center. Remove the cakes from the oven, run a very thin flexible spatula around the outside edge of each to ensure the cake is not stuck to the sides.
Turn each cake upside down onto an individual plate, remove the ramekin and serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, a quenelle of mousse, a scoop of ice cream, some berry coulis, a drizzle of caramel or, for the chocolate purists out there, simple and unadorned.

Nutrition