Recipe: Molten Chocolate Lava Baby Cakes

I still remember the first time I had a chocolate lava cake, I was so sad when my plate was empty and I always order this if I see it on a menu. There is no chocolate dessert that compares to this. The hot melting center of dark chocolate surrounded by moist cake to sop it up with is better than anything else. Now I can make this at home with this recipe for Molten Chocolate Lava Baby Cakes. I like to serve it with a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side to have that hot-cold swirl to scoop up.

Recipe Adapted From: Nigella Lawson, Nigella.com
Yield: 6 Servings
Time: Total 25 minutes
Ingredients:
50g soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
350g best dark chocolate
150g superfine sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g plain or Italian 00 flour
6 individual pudding moulds, buttered
baking parchment

1. Unless you are making these up in advance, preheat the oven to 400ºF,putting in a baking sheet at the same time. Lay 3 of the moulds on a sheet of doubled baking parchment. Draw round them, remove, and then cut out the discs as marked. Press them all into the base of the tins.

2. Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly. Cream together the butter and sugar, and gradually beat in the eggs and salt, then the vanilla. Now add the flour, and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter.

3. Divide the batter between the 6 moulds, quickly whip the baking sheet out of the oven, arrange the little tins on it and replace in the oven. Cook for 10–12 minutes (the extra 2 minutes will be needed if the puddings are fridge-cold when you start) and as soon as you take them out of the oven, tip out the babycakes onto small plates or shallow bowls.

Let me know what you think or if you have any recommendations. Click here to see more recipes.