Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten chocolate cake with whipped cream...

While a dessert menu is always tempting, I usually prefer ending my night with a treat at home because 1) I usually stuff myself at dinner and need a little time before stuffing myself with dessert, 2) it's hard to pay $8 for a slice of cake, and 3) I really like eating sweets curled up on the couch in PJs rather than at the table in my date jeans.

These warm, gooey, ridiculously easy molten chocolate cakes are perfect for Valentine's Day. The recipe is foolproof...no special skill in the baking department required (thank goodness). You can whip them up in less than 10 minutes, or make ahead and keep in the fridge until you're ready to transport yourself to chocolate heaven. While I love my chocolate dark, feel free to vary the cacao content to your heart's content. The only requirement is that you eat your cake with lots of whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.

....and with ice cream. Can't go wrong.

Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes
You can half or double this recipe depending on how many people you are serving. If you half it, use one egg and one egg yolk.

Make the batter and pour into muffin tins up to one day in advance. Store in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. Increase the cooking time by a 1-2 minutes. Keep any leftover cakes in the fridge; they taste like a giant truffle when they're cold.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup flour
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted*

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 6 cups of a standard muffin pan.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition and scraping down the bowl frequently. Add the salt and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups. The cups should be nearly full. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The center of the cakes should be jiggly and look moist. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

To remove from the pan, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake and gently lift out. Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

*I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. The bag is 10 oz and I just eyeball it to measure 8 oz. To melt the chocolate, put the chips in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each time.

Get the printable recipe.