Chocolate Lava Cake

Valentine’s Day is never a complete until you have dessert & more often then not it’s chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate on this day. But let’s be honest here, no meal is ever complete without dessert! When I was cooking in San Francisco at an American comfort food restaurant our number one dessert was chocolate lava cake. I made over a hundred each night out of 2 small toaster ovens! Literally every table pre-ordered it at the beginning of their meal. I must say that I am an expert at making this dessert & controlling multiple timers at the same time. Some may say, oh what a basic dessert or did we return to restaurants of the 80s & 90s. But its time for a comeback because the lava cake is one of the most beautiful, delicious & comforting desserts you could ever eat.  Warm cake with a crispy sugar coated exterior & molten chocolate lava on the inside…how could you not love it. 

Special Equipment: Scale, Pot, (4) Bowls, Spatula, Mixer with whisk attachment or Hand Mixer, 4 Oz Ramekin, 1 Oz Scooper, Strainer
Level: Medium

Shopping List

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

4 Oz | 114 g  Semisweet Chocolate
½ Cup | 120 g Heavy Cream

1. Fill a pot with water ¼ of the way & place on stove to boil. 
2. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer.
3. Place 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate & cream in bowl. Create a double boiler by placing the bowl over top of the simmering water, make sure the bottom of the bowl is NOT touching the water. 
4. Let the cream warm & chocolate start to melt gently, then use a rubber spatula to mix. 
5. Continue to stir until mixture is fully combined & smooth.
6. Place the whole bowl into an ice bath to cool quickly. Do not get water in the ganache mixture. 
7. Place into the freezer.
8. Once chocolate is firm, form chocolate ganache into 1 Oz (28 g) balls.

Notes:

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

5 Oz | 143g  Semisweet Chocolate 
6 Tablespoon | 85 g  Unsalted Butter
3 Each | 146 g  Whole Large Eggs
⅓ Cup | 50 g  Light Brown Sugar
½ Teaspoon | 2 g  Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon | 10 g  Grand Marnier (optional)
3 Tablespoon | 25 g  All Purpose Flour
4 Tablespoon | 48 g Raw Sugar
¼ Cup Powdered Sugar (optional garnish)
1 Pint Strawberries (optional garnish)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Using the double boiler again, melt 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate & 6 tablespoon of butter, mixing until smooth.
3. In another mixing bowl combine eggs & light brown sugar. 
4. Beat the sugar & eggs together until they are pale yellow & frothy.
5. Add vanilla extract & Grand Marnier to egg & sugar mixture, whisk to combine.
6. Add the chocolate mixture to egg & brown sugar mixture, whisk to combine.
7. Add all purpose flour & stir to combine.
8. Butter (2-4 each) 4 Oz ramekins & coat the inside with raw sugar (1 Tablespoon per ramekin).
9. Fill each ramekin halfway with your cake mixture (about 2 Oz).
10. Remove the chocolate ganache from the freezer & form into pucks.
11. Place into the center of the cake mixture & gently push down.  
12. Add 1 Oz of cake batter on top.
13. Bake for 7 minutes convection, 13 minutes standard.
14. Slice some strawberries for garnish.
15. Remove ramekins from oven & place on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge of each cake to help release them from their ramekin.
16. Place a plate on top of the ramekin, then gently flip it over so the ramekin is on to.
17. Slowly lift up the ramekin to make sure the cake is in tact. Be careful bc it may be very hot. 
18. Dust with powdered sugar, & add strawberries.
19. Dig in & let the lava ooze.

Notes:

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