It’s hard to beat the richness of chocolate lava cake
Almost anything that reaches massive popularity eventually encounters a backlash — it’s too common, it’s too cliche, it’s just not cool anymore.
Case in point: chocolate lava cake.
Mention this ubiquitous dessert, whose heyday was the 1980s and ’90s but is still going strong, and plenty of people will roll their eyes. Perhaps it jumped the shark long before it started showing up on chain restaurant menus or as middle school chorus fundraisers, as I seem to recall. But perhaps I don’t care. Perhaps it’s popular for a reason, or even many reasons.
I’m not ashamed to say I enjoy a personal chocolate cake that comes with a built-in sauce, that can be whipped up and on the table in less than an hour. And made with pantry staples. And is ideal for a special date night at home. (This is a rich, once-in-a-while treat, though feel free to stretch each cake to 2 servings if you happen to have four people around to eat them.)
To vary the flavor, add up to 1 tablespoon of your favorite liqueur, whisked in after the chocolate and egg mixtures have been combined. For an orange-flavored cake, rub the zest of 1 orange into the sugar before combining with the eggs.
Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two
4 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more for greasing the molds Cocoa powder, for dusting (natural or Dutch process) 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 egg PLUS 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450 degrees.
Generously butter and dust 2 (4-ounce) molds, custard cups or ramekins with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan with a few inches of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pan.
In a medium bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer on medium-high, beat together the egg, yolk and sugar until light, thick and pale yellow.
Finish stirring together the chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour by hand, just until combined.
Divide the batter between the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts for up to several hours. Bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
Transfer the molds to a baking sheet to make them easy to move in and out of the oven (and contain any possible overflow). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes — the longer you bake, the less “sauce” there will be. The center will still be quite soft and slightly dipped, but the sides will be set. Let rest for about a minute.
Place an overturned plate on top of the mold and, holding onto the mold in one hand with a potholder, mitt or dish towel, invert the plate and the mold. (If you have a lightweight pot rest or trivet, you can set the ramekin on top of that and use it to help you invert as well.) Let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one side of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. It’s OK if you have to tap or gently shake the ramekin to nudge it out. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 cakes. Nutrition information: Each cake contains approximately 470 calories, 7 g protein, 20 g fat, 28 g carbohydrate (19 g sugar), 245 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 2. Recipe adapted from “Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef,” by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, 1998) via leitesculinaria.com)