molten lava chocolate cake

recipe adapted from paula deen

one slash of a fork and its molten center will spill like a lush, saucy secret. this cake is unbelivably moist, allows you to play with flavorings and it's great for a small dinner party. i can't remember where, but definetely on a pastry chef's blog i read that this cake is boring and commonplace as old shoes. as i was reading all the reasons i shouldn't bother, the fiercest of cravings took hold.

people are sick of it? i refuse to believe it. it's cliche? ts ts, i can live with that. i could care less about which foods are trendy today. i like what i like and this thing will grace my table a lot more than any other chocolate dessert. it's very easy to make, it takes 25 minutes! 25! from start to ready-to-be-eaten, and it looks good enough to entertain. you can make multiple toppings and each guest gets their own little cake to dress up as they will. can't think of a better ending to a meal.

2 oz/56 gr bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa)

1 1/4 stick/140 gr butter

1/2 cup/ 75 gr all-purpose flour

1 cup/80 gr confectioner's sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 ts vanilla extract

2 tb orange/hazelnut/peppermint liqueur

preheat oven to 425F/218C.

butter and sugar 6 x 6 oz ramekins or 4 x 7 3/4oz.

melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds to avoid scorching or use a double boiler. add the flour and sugar. stir in the eggs and the yolks until smooth. add vanilla and flavoring of choice, i used some coconut extract. decrease to 1 teaspoon if you'll use extract instead of liqueur.

divide equally between ramekins. bake for precisely 14 minutes.

let cool a few minutes and invert unto dessert plates. i do not doubt for a second that more often than not we'll eat them straight out of their ramekins, but if you wanna get fancy, beat up a cup of whipping cream, divide it into smaller portions and mix each with praline, nutella, pistachio paste, peppermint brittle, cream of coconut or what have you, for pure, utter indulgence. as if the cake were not enough on its own!