Chocolate Lava Cake

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 14 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate
• 8 ounces butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 eggs, total 3 separated and at room temperature
• 3 ounces cake flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 4 ounces sugar
• 4 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 ounces heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons butter

Recipe

• 1 for lava centers: chop chocolate into pieces and put into a metal bowl.
• 2 heat cream and pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. add butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
• 3 place mixture in fridge to cool until a frosting-like texture is reached, whisking periodically.
• 4 with a spoon or melon-baller, make cherry-sized mounds on a cookie sheet and freeze until ready to use.
• 5 for cake batter: chop chocolate into pieces. place on top of a double-boiler with butter and melt.
• 6 remove from heat and add vanilla extract and 3 egg yolks. whisk together until mixture is smooth.
• 7 add well-sifted flour and gently incorporate into chocolate mixture.
• 8 place 3 egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar into a clean bowl. whisk until whites form soft peaks. continue to whisk while slowly sprinkling in the sugar.
• 9 using a rubber spatula, carefully the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, adding a third at a time.
• 10 spoon batter into large non-stick muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. (ramekins may be used as well; butter insides and dust with cocoa first).
• 11 push a lava center into the center of each little cake.
• 12 bake at 375f for 15 minutes. do not over-bake!
• 13 remove from oven, wait 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto wire rack to cool.
• 14 serve cakes warm. if you need to reheat, simply microwave for 30 seconds.