Description
Ina Garten’s chocolate lava cake delivers rich, molten chocolate magic straight from her Barefoot Contessa kitchen. Warm chocolate centers flow like liquid silk when you break through delicate cake edges, promising pure dessert bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 oz (168g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 450°F with rack positioned centrally. Meticulously butter and flour six ramekins, ensuring complete coverage to prevent adhering.
- Chocolate Melting: Construct a double boiler using a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Uniformly chop chocolate and butter, stirring until achieving a glossy, seamless consistency while avoiding water contamination.
- Egg Mixture: Combine whole eggs, additional yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whip energetically with an electric mixer until transforming into a thick, pale yellow cream that creates soft ribbons when lifted.
- Batter Creation: Delicately sift flour over egg mixture, folding gently with a spatula to maintain volume. Incorporate melted chocolate using smooth, deliberate motions to create a unified batter.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly among ramekins, filling three-quarters full. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and slide into preheated oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes, monitoring carefully—edges should set and slightly puff while center remains slightly unstable.
- Plating and Serving: Allow cakes to rest for 60 seconds after removing from oven. Carefully invert each ramekin onto a serving plate, holding firmly for 10 seconds before lifting. Garnish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and optional fresh raspberries or mint leaves for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Precision Matters: Exact measurements and timing are crucial for achieving the perfect lava cake texture, so use a kitchen scale and set a timer.
- Temperature Control: The short baking time and high oven temperature are critical; even 30 seconds can transform the cake from gooey to overcooked.
- Ramekin Preparation: Thoroughly buttering and flouring the ramekins ensures a clean, smooth release and prevents the delicate cake from sticking.
- Chocolate Quality Counts: Use high-quality dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content for the richest, most intense chocolate flavor and silky smooth texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 180mg