How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake

The majority of us love chocolate and for reasons that go far beyond its delicious taste. Chocolate is a psychoactive food containing anandamide (a chemical found in the brain which promotes the sense of well-being); caffeine (we all know what that does); and tryptophan (an essential amino acid which reduces anxiety). The consumption of chocolate has also been shown to release endorphins, natural opiates which exist within the brain.

Chocolate can be good for your health, as well! It's a great antioxidant. Chocolate contains the same amount of phenols (chemicals which prevent oxidation within arteries) as red wine. It has also been found to thin the blood, which can help to prevent clots.

Time for a Little Dessert

The dessert we're making is none other than Molten Chocolate Cake. If you've ever ordered this dish in a restaurant, you know it's about as "over-the-top" as a dessert can be.

Imagine the lightest and moistest chocolate cake you've ever eaten. Now imagine it served warm with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. As you take your first bite, you discover an added bonus, a molten river of dark chocolate cascading from the center.

Sounds amazing, right? It is! But there are a few things I would like you to know.

First, this is a rich and decadent dessert. My recipe makes 6 "individual" servings, but those with smaller appetites could easily share one.

Second, this is NOT a low-cal, low-fat, or low-carb dessert. This is pure confectionary firepower, the likes of which you rarely experience. Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cake (serves 6)

Powder sugar for dusting
4 large egg yolks
4 large whole eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. high-quality, bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cake flour (plus more for dusting)
Vegetable spray
2 sticks unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using vegetable spray, grease (6) 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cake flour. In the top of a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk in the cake flour. Evenly distribute the batter among the 6 ramekins, and bake for 10 minutes or until the sides of the cakes are set but the center still jiggles. Let the cakes cool for 2-3 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto plates. Garnish with powder sugar and serve with either vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

See some behind-the-scenes photos of this video shoot!

Enjoy!

Kirk Leins, The Everyday Gourmet

As always, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! And if you like my videos, please share them with your friends and co-workers.

Tags: cake, chocolate, dessert, kid-friendly

Comment

You need to be a member of NoTimeToCook.com to add comments!

Join NoTimeToCook.com

Comment by nur syazlin nordin on June 19, 2011 at 2:05am: thanks.

Comment by Kirk Leins on June 18, 2011 at 12:51pm: I wouldn't recommend baking them in a cupcake pan, Sur. It would be very hard unmolding all of them at one time. Ramekins are still the best choice.

Best,

Kirk

Comment by nur syazlin nordin on June 16, 2011 at 11:11pm: can we bake it in a cupcake pan?

Comment by teeny on January 1, 2010 at 1:25am: thanx kirik.i will try to make the recipe as soon as possible and than i will let you know.. :)

Comment by Kirk Leins on December 29, 2009 at 5:54pm: Teeny, because chocolate and butter are not sold in cups it is much easier to just work with the instructions in the recipe. In terms of the ramekins, you can use anything as long as it's 4 to 5 ounces in size and is oven safe. Hope that helps.

Comment by teeny on December 28, 2009 at 12:34am: and in my country i am not able to find ramekins can you tell me an alternate for it

Comment by teeny on December 28, 2009 at 12:33am: hey i am new to baking and i am not good with measurments either can you please tell me the amount of butter and choclate in cups.

Comment by Kirk Leins on November 10, 2009 at 10:55am: Nur, You can use AP flour, but your finished product will most likely not turn out as light as it would if you used cake flour. In terms of the butter, it is never a good idea to use salted butter, as it takes away your ability to add the right amount of salt. Stick with unsalted butter.

Comment by Nur Azureen on November 10, 2009 at 6:24am: hi, i'm very very new at baking. is it okay if i use all purpose flour for the cake flour?
and what if i use the salted butter instead of insalted butter?

Comment by Kirk Leins on August 13, 2009 at 8:35pm: Hehe. I'm blushing. I just did this recipe for a cooking lesson I gave last Friday. They loved it as well. It's definitely a winner.

How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake

You need to be a member of NoTimeToCook.com to add comments!

Follow NoTimeToCook!

Popular Searches