Molten Chocolate Cake

Warm, liquid-y chocolate cakes were all the rage in restaurants about 10 years ago.  Now it's warm brownies with ice cream and sauce on them...an over the top dessert you would have to have only eaten a salad to want.  That's the problem with intense desserts, but if you plan carefully with a very light meal, you can enjoy this every now and then.

You will need small ramekins for this, ones that hold about 3/4 to 1 cup.  I tried two methods.  The first is this device, which is designed for creme brûlée.  It will yield a very liquid-y cake, and these hold 1 cup.  I would say that this is a dessert for serious chocolate lovers with big appetites.

When you make a custard you put water in the bottom of the pan, and it has the handy lifters to get them out, taking much of the danger out of the process.  For these cakes you don't use the water, but the lifter still greatly simplifies the process.  It's made by Chicago Metallic and costs about $16 at Amazon.

The second is a fluted pan that holds 3/4 cup, that I found at Williams-Sonoma for 59 cents each:

The cake will hold it's shape better because the metal and the direct contact with the pan will cook the bottom more.  There will be significantly less gooey-ness, and more crispness.  It's also a smaller serving, so more manageable at the end of a meal.  Your choice.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup AP flour

Generously butter eight 1-cup ramekins.

Stir chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth.  Always put the butter on the bottom of the pan so it melts and creates a buffer for the chocolate.

Cool slightly.

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend.  I used my Pourperfect bowl because it has a spout, but you can use any bowl.

Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar,

then chocolate mixture, which will get rid of any clumps of confectioner's sugar,

then flour.

Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally.

(Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Bake cakes until batter has risen above the dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter.

Run small knife around cakes to loosen (this will not be possible or necessary for the metal fluted pans).  Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes.

Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place ramekin on one plate,

then invert it onto the dish you plan to serve it on.

Remove first plate,

then lift the ramekin off and cake should flow out onto serving plate.  Use an offset spatula to be sure you get all of the rich, gooey chocolate out.

The cakes in the metal pans will be cool enough to handle in 5 minutes, and can simply be inverted on the plate and lifted off.

Repeat with remaining cakes.  Serve with ice cream.

We used mocha almond fudge ice cream, but coffee, cinnamon or vanilla would also be excellent choices.  Makes 8-10.