Lava Baby Cakes...Oh Baby!!!

When I crave something sweet, it’s usually a chocolate cake with ice cream.  In my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, there is a picture of a chocolate cake that looks soooo good.  Over the years, I would look at the recipe but would eventually move on to a different recipe because this one calls for whipping cream and I never had it on hand. 

As I have started cooking more, I have learned that whipping cream is sort of a staple.  At least, that is, with the recipes that always catch my eye.  So I have started keeping it in the fridge.  I finally attempted this recipe and love making it as a follow up to Sunday dinner.  It does take a little TLC to make, but it is so worth it! 

Lava Baby Cakes



This is how the lava cake looked last month when I served it to my family

This is how the lava cake looked when my friend Melissa is in charge of plating.  SOOOO much better! 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 T. whipping cream

¾ c. butter

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 ½ t. vanilla

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Powdered sugar (optional)

Raspberries/strawberries (optional)

Directions:

For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine ¾ c. of the chocolate  chips, and whipping cream.  Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.  Cool, stirring occasionally.  Cover; chill about 45 minutes or until firm.

Meanwhile, in a medium heavy saucepan, cook and stir the remaining cup chocolate chips and the butter over low heat until melted.  Remove from heat; cool.

Form filling into 6 equal-size balls; set aside.  Lightly grease and flour six ¾-cup soufflé dishes or six 6-ounce custard cups.  Place dishes or cups in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan (cookie sheet) and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until lemon-colored.  Beat in cooled chocolate mixture on medium speed.  Sift flour and cocoa powder over mixture; beat on low speed just until combined.  Spoon 1/3 c. batter into dishes.  Place 1 ball of filling into each dish.  Spoon remaining batter in dishes.

Bake in a 400 degree over for about 13 minutes or until cakes feel firm at edges.  Cool in dishes for 2 to 3 minutes.  Using a knife, loosen cakes from sides of dishes.  Invert onto dessert plates.  If desired, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries or strawberries.  Serve immediately.

In my test kitchen:

I add a little raspberry extract (1/2 t.) to the chocolate chips and whipping cream…just to give that inside melty chocolate a little raspberry flavor.  I also found that I can’t get six cakes out of my recipe.  I get more than enough for 6 balls of filling…actually a little too much for my liking.  I make my chocolate balls just a little smaller than probably recommended.

It can be a little tricky to invert the cakes onto dishes.  Mostly because you want to serve the cakes warm.  So the cups can be a little hot when trying to flip them.  I typically put the plate on top of the cup and cover the soufflé cup with an oven mitt when flipping it all upside down. 

Definitely, definitely serve this with a scoop of ice cream, fresh fruit, and some raspberry sauce.

 

~Happy Cooking!