Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Calling all chocolate lovers:
Chocolate cake oozing with more chocolate
Topped with a fudgy peanut butter caramel sauce

Recipe

Prep Time: 20 min
Bake Time: 10 min
Yields: 2 cakes



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What you need

Lava Cakes

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed in nice n tight
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp instant espresso powder
• Pinch of salt



Chocolate Ganache Filling

• 2oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp heavy cream or half n half
• 1 tbsp butter



Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

• 3 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt





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What to do


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. For the ganache, place chocolate, cream and butter in a pyrex measuring cup (or glass, heatproof bowl) and melt in microwave for 15-20 seconds. Once melted, pour the mix evenly onto a parchment paper. Freeze for about 15-20 min (*see note). You can place the parchment paper on a plate or tray before you pour the chocolate.
2. For the lava cakes, melt chocolate chips and butter the same way as ganache. Once melted, pour into a medium bowl and cool.
3. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate, give the mix a good whisk to combine. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Gently fold everything with a spatula until combined.
4. Grease two 8oz ramekins with butter and sprinkle with a little cocoa powder (*see note). Divide mix into the ramekins, fill each up halfway. Remove the ganache from the freezer and break up the chocolate (it will be frozen) and place a few chunks on top of the chocolate mix in each ramekin.
5. Pour the remaining mix in each ramekin, covering the ganache chunks. Place both ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10-12 min (*See note). Edges should be set but the middle should jiggle and wiggle a bit 😃.
6. Once baked, immediately run a knife along the sides of each cake (this will help them come out onto a plate later). Cool for about 10 min.
7. For the peanut butter sauce, mix the peanut butter with honey in a saucepan over low heat. Once the pb melts completely, remove from the heat. Then add vanilla and salt. You can use a tsp or two of warm water to help thin out the sauce if needed.
8. After 10 minutes of cooling, place a plate on top of one ramekin at a time and flip the plate so the ramekin is in top. Slowly lift the ramekin up by its bottom or handles, and the cake should slide out! Sprinkle with powdered sugar and the melted pb sauce! Enjoy and STUFFF!










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Helpful tips





Here are some important Pro tips by Maude

• The ganache filling in this recipe is totally optional but highly recommended, as it gives these lava cakes an extra ooze factor. Freezing the ganache helps when transferring to the ramekins after the first layer of molten cake is poured. The ganache will easily turn to bark and break into chunks. Who doesn’t love more chocolate!?
• Greasing your ramekins with butter and then a little dusting of cocoa powder will ensure that your lava cakes slip right now. I was skeptical at first… “could these cakes really slip out?” Yes, yes, YES! They slip right out. Don’t skip the greasing step!
• If you are looking for some good ramekins, I have a few linked here. The le creuset cocette minis are always nice and sturdy. If you are looking for something a little more traditional and still high performing, try these.








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