Birthdays call for cakes and a very easy cake to make, that has all the “oomph” factor, is the molten lava chocolate cake!! Some where on the web it was mentioned that as true in many cases, this one, also was a creation out of an accident! Some intern chef removed the chocolate cakes way too early from the oven, almost half way through and since the quantity was for a huge party, the head chef just decided on the spot to name this as the LAVA Cake , since the inside was still soft and VOILA there it was, a one time accident, now one of the most visually appealing, chocolate lover’s dream come true- Molten Chocolate Lava Cake.
Only befitting, that I decided to make this for my daughter’s 15th birthday as she is a chocolate lover and old enough to enjoy the molten hot lava cake!. She enjoyed it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top and the second serving was just slurping the hot lava, along with the soft texture of the cake, creating a warm feeling of love all around!
What I also like, is that each one gets their own individual volcano of chocolate, and the best way to enjoy a cake, is when it is just out of the oven. No icing needed, no frosting needed, just hot cake aroma can fill your senses with delight!
This is also known as warm chocolate pudding cake as it is somewhere between a pudding and cake. ≈
Enjoy this sweet volcano and its eruption and personally I was equally mesmerized by the hot lava flowing out of the Hawaii Volcano!! When I inverted, I had not put the butter paper inside, and hence the top of the cake got stuck, but proved to be just perfect for the Volcano look and eruption!! So another accident turned beneficial. and reinforces my belief on trusting one’s instinct while baking this Eggless Chocolate Lava Cake!!
Recipe makes 2 chocolate lave cakes
Cooking Time 15 min
Preparation Time 15 min
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose or cake flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup castor sugar
- 1/8 cup low fat yogurt
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 bar of dark chocolate 72% cocoa( full bar is 3.5 oz)
- 1/2 bar of small godiva dark chocolate truffle bar(optional)
Method
- Break the dark chocolate bar in big pieces.
- Microwave half of the pieces on high for 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate
- Add the remaining half pieces , microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
- Microwave for another 30 pieces.
- Add the dark chocolate truffle bar pieces and microwave for another 30 sec.
- Soften the butter and add vanilla essence. Whisk the butter and essence with an electric whisk for 2-3 min.
- Add the castor sugar and mix well manually, till it forms a paste.
- Whisk again with an electric whisk for 2-3 min.
- Put the oven to pre-heat for 450 degrees for convection baking.
- Add the all purpose or cake flour and mix manually.
- Add melted chocolate and stir well.
- Add yogurt and beat well for a 2 min.
- Add water and beat for a min.
- Grease the ramekin moulds generously with butter.
- Put a butter paper round inside the mould.
- Pour the batter equally among the two moulds upto 3/4 of the mould height.
- Tap the moulds to remove the air bubbles.
- On a baking pan, or cookie sheet, put the chocolate lava mix to bake.
- Bake for 13 min.
- Remove from the oven.
- Cool for a min.
- Gently release edges of the cake, with a butter knife.
- Take a plate and place it inverted on the top of the baked chocolate lava cake.
- Flip the plate so the mould now rests on the top.
- Gently tap the sides and release the cake.
- You can top this with vanilla ice cream, powdered sugar or eat it just plain hot chocolate lava!
Tips
To cut a round shape butter paper, put the ramekin mould on top of the butter paper, pencil the outline and cut it 1 mm smaller than the pencil circle.
Make sure that the chocolate does not burn in a microwave. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate on a double boiler.Or heat a pan of water, put a vessel on top of it and gently stir the chocolate on top of it on a medium flame.
The cake is done, when the sides are baked and the center is a almost baked.
Serve instantly, as otherwise the molten lava will cool down and start solifiying.
Instinct Factor
Releasing the cake, via inversion, needs some tact and ability to handle hot containers. So having a good pair of hot gloves that are flexible helps over here.
Feel Factor
Eggless Chocolate Lava cake gives you a warm feeling of love, dark chocolate, melted in some parts, mixed with the soft chocolate on the outside, is simply Divine and can be made and consumed in under half an hour. Top with cool ice-cream for that contrasting flavour, and for extra sweetness, dust some more castor sugar and spread your love!
