Lava Cake
Lave cake has a wonderfully checkered history that I was fascinated by when I started researching it.
A chef named Jean-Gorges Vongerichten in the United States claims to have created the lava cake (or molten chocolate cake) back in 1987. This, however, is vehemently disputed by Jacques Torres, a French chocolatier and chef who claims that the dessert already existed in France long before this. To this day, the dispute continues.
The dessert shot to fame in the 1990s and could be found in just about every high-end restaurant worldwide. However, it lost favor in the new millennia and lost its high-end reputation (mostly because you started being able to find it everywhere!).
For me, the lava cake is a timeless classic and still delights people worldwide. Its fame continues, and I am still chuckling of the film Chef and Jon Favreau’s character laying into Oliver Platt’s character for his bad review of his lava cake! Passions still run hot over this dessert.
LAVA CAKE
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter
- 4 ounces Dark chocolate
- 1 ¼ cups Powdered sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Egg yolks
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F / 220°C and grease 4 large ramekins with baking grease. Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and set aside.
- Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
- Whisk the butter and melted chocolate together until smooth and completely melted.
- Microwave for another 15 seconds if needed to make sure both ingredients are completely melted.
- Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate and butter mix and then whisk in the eggs and egg yolk.
- Add the vanilla and whisk well so the batter is smooth.
- Whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps.
- Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins and then bake in the preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes. The sides of the cakes should be set but the center will still be soft.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let sit for just one minute then serve while still hot and gooey!
