Description
This refined Chocolate Lava Cake 2 utilizes a chilled ganache core to guarantee a perfectly molten center every time. The structural contrast between the stable sponge and the silky interior creates a professional-grade dessert that removes all the guesswork from traditional baking.
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate (max 50% cocoa solids)
- Unsalted butter, cubed into 1cm pieces
- Large eggs, room temperature
- Egg yolks, room temperature
- Caster sugar
- Heavy cream (at least 35% fat)
- Plain flour
- Cocoa powder for dusting moulds
Instructions
- Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl and melt in 20-second microwave bursts until smooth; chill for 3 hours and then scoop into small spheres.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C for fan-forced ovens.
- Butter four 170ml dariole moulds and dust them thoroughly with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring until a uniform liquid forms, and allow it to cool for five minutes.
- Whisk the eggs, additional yolks, and caster sugar together in a clean bowl until the mixture is light and frothy.
- Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg base using a silicone spatula with gentle ‘over and under’ motions.
- Sift the flour over the batter and fold it in with minimal strokes until no white streaks remain.
- Fill the prepared moulds one-third of the way with batter, place a chilled ganache sphere in the center, and cover with remaining batter.
- Bake on a tray for exactly 20 minutes until the tops are springy, then rest for two minutes before inverting onto plates.
Notes
For the most reliable results, use a digital thermometer to ensure your melted chocolate has cooled enough so it does not scramble the eggs during the folding process. If you are preparing these for a dinner party, the moulds can be filled and refrigerated earlier in the day, though you may need to add 1-2 minutes to the final baking time.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French