I've tried three different recipes for Lava Cakes over the years and I failed miserably every time. I had to get it right this time, though... Hubby had specifically asked for Lava Cake for his birthday Candlelight Supper last night!
I had tried recipes from Epicurious, Gourmet, and Recipes.com -but the recipe that worked came from a late 80s edition of the BH & G desserts cookbook, and here it is:
3/4 cup butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I substituted chocolate chips and it worked)
granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sifted icing (confectioners) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- In a heavy saucepan, combine butter and chopped chocolate; melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.
- Butter 6 6-ounce custard cups. Coat with granulated sugar and place in a shallow baking pan
- Beat eggs and yolks in large mixer bowl at high speed until thick and pale yellow. Beat in the sifted icing sugar and vanilla. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture at medium speed. Sift the flour and cocoa over the chocolate mixture, beat at very low speed just till blended. Spoon into the prepared custard cups.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cakes rise slightly and feel firm at the edges but softer in the centre when pressed gently. Cool in dishes 5 minutes. Invert dishes onto serving plates. Cool 10 to 15 minutes and serve.
I did not think to take photos, unfortunately, but I have a few 'notes to self' about why my previous attempts at these cakes failed:
- Do NOT try to divide the recipe. The leftover cakes will keep!
- Sift the flour before measuring - I believe my previous attempts failed because of too much flour
- Don't prepare these in advance - another reason why I failed was because I believe I let the cakes 'set' too much
- Don't think of the calories.... LOL
I had tried recipes from Epicurious, Gourmet, and Recipes.com -but the recipe that worked came from a late 80s edition of the BH & G desserts cookbook, and here it is:
3/4 cup butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I substituted chocolate chips and it worked)
granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sifted icing (confectioners) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- In a heavy saucepan, combine butter and chopped chocolate; melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.
- Butter 6 6-ounce custard cups. Coat with granulated sugar and place in a shallow baking pan
- Beat eggs and yolks in large mixer bowl at high speed until thick and pale yellow. Beat in the sifted icing sugar and vanilla. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture at medium speed. Sift the flour and cocoa over the chocolate mixture, beat at very low speed just till blended. Spoon into the prepared custard cups.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cakes rise slightly and feel firm at the edges but softer in the centre when pressed gently. Cool in dishes 5 minutes. Invert dishes onto serving plates. Cool 10 to 15 minutes and serve.
I did not think to take photos, unfortunately, but I have a few 'notes to self' about why my previous attempts at these cakes failed:
- Do NOT try to divide the recipe. The leftover cakes will keep!
- Sift the flour before measuring - I believe my previous attempts failed because of too much flour
- Don't prepare these in advance - another reason why I failed was because I believe I let the cakes 'set' too much
- Don't think of the calories.... LOL
