Valentine’s Day Recipe: Bittersweet Chocolate Lava Cake

As of one of our most-requested dessert recipes at The Culinary Center, these Chocolate Lava Cakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day. These warm dark chocolate cakes have a “molten lava” chocolate center that flows out onto the plate the moment you cut into them. The simple trick to achieving this effect is to bake a chocolate truffle in the center of the batter. For fun, you can try alternatives to the chocolate truffle: peppermint chocolate, espresso or raspberry are three of my favorites.

Bittersweet Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 7 tablespoons (3½ ounces) unsalted butter, plus additional for the ramekins, softened to room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona 70% cacao Guanaja), cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1 cup)
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 6 chocolate truffles
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• Whipped cream, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. Generously butter six 5- to 6-ounce ramekins, line them with parchment lifts, and butter the paper. Place on a small sheet pan.
3. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over (not touching) barely simmering water in the bottom pan until warm. (Or use a heatproof bowl over a saucepan.) The chocolate should register 105˚F to 115˚F on an instant-read thermometer. (Or dip a small metal skewer into the chocolate. It should feel warm when touched to your lower lip.)
4. Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over (not touching) simmering water in a saucepan. Whisk just until warm, about 1½ minutes.
5. Place the bowl on the mixer, fit with the whisk attachment, and whip on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the flour over the top of the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
7. Then fold about one-third of the egg mixture into the melted chocolate. Fold in the remaining egg mixture in two batches.
8. Spoon enough batter into each ramekin to be one-third full.
9. Center a truffle in the middle of the ramekin. Spoon the remaining batter over the top of the truffle to fill the ramekin to 80% full.
10. Bake until a skewer inserted down one side of the cake (the center will be liquid because of the ganache) comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. While they are baking, prepare the Chocolate Sauce (see recipe below).
11. Remove from the oven and let sit for 1 minute. Lift the cakes from the ramekins onto a dessert plate and coat with chocolate sauce, raspberries and whipped cream.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona 64% cacao Manjari), cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1¼ cups)
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Remove from the heat, pour over the chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute.
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together until completely smooth and shiny.
5. Whisk in the vanilla and the butter.
6. Let cool but keep warm until needed for cakes.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours!