Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Looking for a creamy, gooey and intense chocolate treat that will make you warm and fuzzy all over, then try this extremely decadent Chocolate Lava cakes that boast of a lovely coffee flavor combined with the richness of dark chocolate! If you’ve ever tasted the Betty Crocker Warm Delights, you have a fair idea of how this delicious dessert will taste – warm and gooey are the best adjectives to describe it, but I would also like to add simple, easy and out-of-this-world to the adjective list, because that’s how you’d describe them too, once you’ve had a spoonful.

I’ve tried several recipes for Molten cakes before, but none have been as good as this one. I agree that the oven temperature and the baking time are extremely critical in baking perfect cakes, and this comes with some experience indeed. However, the idea of embedding chocolate scoops to the half-cooked baby cakes does help a lot in creating a gooey center that is so characteristic of Molten Lava Cakes.

Chocolate Lava Cakes with a Mocha Twist
Adapted from Woman’s Day magazine; photo by John Uher

Ingredients
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream
4 tsp instant coffee
1 box (17.6 oz) Fudge Brownies Mix with Fudge Syrup
3 large eggs
1/3 cup oil

Method
Prepare a baking sheet and keep ready. We are going to bake the molten cakes in ramekins, but instead of directly placing them on the oven racks, we’ll put them on a baking sheet instead, to prevent the cakes from getting hard.

Microwave the chocolate chips and whipping cream in a small bowl, stirring at 30-second intervals, until melted and smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 15 minutes, or until firm, just like a soft pudding.

Scoop the chocolate pudding mixture using rounded spoons or mini ice cream scoops and line drop-fuls on plate lined with aluminum foil. Prepare 6 such scoops and freeze at least 30 minutes until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Coat six 6-oz ramekins with nonstick spray. Place on the baking sheet.

Dissolve instant coffee in 2 Tbsp warm water. Combine brownie mix (reserve fudge syrup packet), eggs, oil and coffee mixture in a large bowl. Stir, as directed on the brownie mix package, until well blended. Divide evenly among prepared cups. Do not fill upto the brim (leave about an inch from the top)

Bake for about 8 minutes, or until sides are set but centers are still soft. Watch the oven during this baking phase, as you don’t want to over-cook the cakes and make them turn hard. 8-9 minutes should be good enough. Now, insert one frozen chocolate scoop gently into the middle (but not to bottom) of each cake. Bake for another 8 minutes more until cakes have risen. Cool on pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Place the chocolate syrup packet in a small bowl of hot water. Run a thin knife around the chocolate cakes to loosen them from the ramekins.

When ready to serve, invert each lava cake onto the dessert plate, then drizzle with chocolate syrup. repeat for each of the Molten Lava Cakes.

Related Recipes
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake
Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Upside-Down Spiced Plum Cake