Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake has a rich, velvety chocolate exterior and molten, gooey center that oozes out like warm chocolate lava when you cut into it. It's a decadent treat that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. And it's ready in almost 30 minutes! Let's talk about the ingredients first :

• Butter : I prefer using unsalted butter because it allows you to adjust the amount of salt however you like. But if you only have salted butter on hand it's completely fine just skip the 1/8 tsp of salt.

• Dark chocolate : Use a good quality dark chocolate. Around 50-70%. It's going to give you a deep and intense chocolate flavor.

• Instant coffee powder : You can leave it out if you don't like coffee but the coffee powder in this recipe is just to intensify the chocolate flavor and you cannot taste the coffee at all.

• Eggs : There are no leavening agents in this recipe. The eggs whipped with the sugar are going to act as the leavening agent. The additional yolks add richness to the texture of the cake.

Servings : 6

Ingredients :

• Butter - 180g

• Dark chocolate - 240g

• Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

• Salt - 1/8 tsp

• Eggs - 150g

• Egg yolks - 30g

• Caster sugar - 60g

• Flour - 2 tbsp

• Powdered sugar and fresh berries for garnish (optional)

Instructions :

1. Chop up the chocolate roughly and melt together the butter and chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave until almost melted. Take it off the heat and mix until everything is melted and smooth.

2. Mix in the instant coffee and let it cool slightly.

3. In a separate bowl add in the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Beat it immediately using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Don't let the sugars sit on top of the eggs unmixed. Keep beating for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture is pale and has volumized.

4. Now, sift in the flour and add the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Make sure that the mixture is not hot or else it will start cooking the eggs. Gently fold everything using a spatula. Mix only till you don't see any streaks of flour and the batter looks smooth. Do not overmix.

5. Preheat the oven to 232°C/450°F. Prepare six 6oz ramekins by generously coating the interior with butter, ensuring an even coverage to prevent sticking. Lightly dust the buttered surface with flour, tapping out any excess for a smooth release. You can also place a small circle of parchment paper at the bottom of each ramekin to prevent sticking.

6. Place the prepared ramekins onto a baking tray and divide the batter evenly among the ramekins.

7. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the edges are set while the center remains soft and gooey. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then gently invert the ramekins onto a plate to release the cakes.

8. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh berries or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream before serving hot immediately.