Valrhona Chocolate Cake
Submitted by Mary D
Rich, individual molten chocolate lava cakes made with Valrhona bittersweet chocolate and real butter. Crisp edges give way to a warm, gooey center. Served with vanilla ice cream.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
15 minREADY
40 minSix ingredients. Twelve minutes in the oven. A molten chocolate center that flows like lava when you break through the crust. This is the dessert that makes people think you went to pastry school.
Valrhona bittersweet chocolate and a generous amount of unsalted butter melt together into a glossy, dark pool. Whole eggs and extra yolks get whipped with sugar until thick and pale, then folded with just enough flour to hold the whole thing together.
Baked in individual custard cups, each cake sets firm around the edges while the center stays liquid and trembling. Turn them out onto plates, crack one open, and watch the warm chocolate pour out.
Chef Tips
- Use the best chocolate you can afford. With so few ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide mediocre chocolate. Valrhona is the gold standard, but any high-quality bittersweet bar will work.
- Beat the eggs and sugar for the full 10 minutes. That aeration is what gives the cake its rise and delicate shell.
- Watch the bake time like a hawk. Twelve minutes gives you a molten center; fourteen gives you a regular brownie. Set a timer.
- The chopped chocolate added to each cup before baking creates an extra pocket of melted goodness in the center.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Butter and flour six, 6 ounces custard cups.
Place chocolate and butter in a metal bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar until they are pale and thick, about 10 minutes.
Reduce the speed and gradually mix in the flour.
Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture and continue to beat until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
Divide among the prepared cups.
Add 1 tablespoon. chopped chocolate.
Bake until the cake is set around the edges but the center moves slightly when the cup is moved, about 12 minutes.
Cool slightly.
Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cups.
Turn out onto plates and serve with warm ice cream.
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