Chocolate Lava Cakes

This recipe for chocolate lava cakes is not for the faint hearted – they’re pretty deadly! I made them one Christmas for dessert, and even for chocolate lovers, like us, one small ramekin would have been plenty.

The dessert has a light chocolate-sponge encasing a pool of liquid chocolate. Depending on how long you cook the cakes, you either get a huge pool of liquid chocolate or a very moist cake.

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES
Makes 4 small ramekins
Adapted from Famous French Desserts – Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients
170 g (6 oz) good quality dark chocolate (around 70 %)
170 g (¾ c) unsalted butter, diced at room temperature
3 large eggs
100 g (½ c) sugar
50 g (⅓ c) plain (all-purpose) flour
Butter for ramekins

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter 4 (120 ml, 4 fl. oz or 1/2 c) ramekins

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the chocolate is molten, add the butter and stir until it melts. Take off the heat.

3. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they start to whiten. Stir the egg mixture into the chocolate, then add the flour and stir until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins*.

4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until just set on the top. Tip the chocolate cake onto a plate and serve warm. Enjoy!

* The cakes can be made in advance and chilled. Just pop them into the oven when needed.