Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
This one is fun to serve and will be the finale for your meal. Jenn makes this one and suggests sometimes substituting Raspberry Liquor for the Grand Marnier and Orange Zest. When the cakes are cut into, steaming chocolate "lava" will pour out from inside.
Ingredients
Frozen Chocolate Centers
  • 6oz Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3/4C Heavy Cream
  • 2Tbsp light corn syrup
  • 1Tbsp Grand Marnier
  • 1tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4tsp finely grated orange zest
Chocolate Cake
  • softened butter or margarine for buttering ramekins
  • 9oz Semisweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4C Water
  • 2tsp Instant coffee granules
  • 3/4C All purpose flour, sifted
  • 3Tbsp All purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/8tsp Salt
  • 8Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2C Sugar
  • 1Tbsp Sugar
  • 2tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Lg Eggs, separated
  • 1 Lg Egg White, room temp
  • Strawberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
Frozen Centers
  1. Put chocolate in 1qt measuring cup with a pouring spout.
  2. In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, heat the cream and corn syrup, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.
  3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate
  4. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate
  5. Gently whisk until smooth
  6. Stir in the Grand Marnier, vanilla and orange zest
  7. Cover an ice cube tray with a piece of plastic wrap. With your fingers, press down on the plastic wrap to line six individual ice cube cavities with plastic.
  8. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the lined cavities, filling each to the brim.
  9. Cover and refrigerate
  10. When chilled, cover tray and cubes with plastic wrap and freeze for 3 - 4 hours until solid. Keep frozen until ready to assemble the dessert.
Chocolate Cake
  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
  2. Generously butter the bottom and sides of six 6 oz ramekins and set on a baking sheet
  3. Melt the chocolate with the water and coffee. Gently whisk until smooth.
  4. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 5 - 10 minutes until tepid
  5. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds at medium speed until creamy.
  6. While beating add 1/2 cup of the sugar.
  7. Beat in the vanilla.
  8. One at a time, add egg yolks beating well.
  9. Add melted chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.
  10. In a large (grease free) bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gradually increase speed to high and beat until peaks begin to form.
  11. Gradually add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form.
  12. Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into 1/3 of the chocolate batter. Gently fold each remaining third in.
  13. Spoon half of the batter, filling each ramekin a little more than half full.
  14. Unwrap the frozen cubes.
  15. Nestle a frozen cube in the center of each batter filled ramekin. Spoon the remaining batter over the tops of the frozen cubes covering them completely.
  16. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until batter has risen 1/2 inch above the ramekin rims and tops are slightly cracked.
  17. It is better to under bake than over bake.
  18. Let the cakes cool about 5 minutes in the ramekins.
  19. Turn the ramekins upside down onto individual plates and let the cakes fall out.
  20. Garnish with strawberries if desired.
  21. Serve warm.