Mini Soft Center Chocolate Cakes

I don't post a lot of desserts as I find baking complicated and a bit too precise for my overstimulated brain. But I do have the opportunities to make something that can dazzle whoever is at my dinner table and always take advantage. When I entertain I use a lot of recipes that can be done ahead of time and this recipe fits that description. My mother is a fantastic baker and pastry master. She describes so many desserts she has made as "easy" yet I find myself in awe of the precision and skill that goes into it. She has shared a few gems with me that she knows I will use and are super easy to make. Like me, she likes to pull out all the stops, or at least make your guests feel that way. I made these beautiful, warm mini chocolate cakes for my anniversary and my husband loved it. I made it in less than 15 minutes earlier in the day, popped them in the oven while we were eating dinner and they were warm, delicious and oozing with chocolate goodness when we were done. These cakes have a soft center that is luscious and pairs fantastically with some good vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (as my mom would say, always make your own! heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, stabilizer, which can be found in the baking section in little packets; beat until stiff peaks form with a hand or standing mixer). Enjoy this dessert and know that it make you look like such a pastry all-star with little work to do!

Mini Soft Center Chocolate Cakes

Forks & Amusement 2010

makes 4 servings

1 stick (4 oz) butter, plus a little extra for buttering the molds

4 oz bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. flour, plus a little extra for dusting molds

4 - 4oz ramekins, molds or custard cups (this size is kind of odd, I used 3 oz ramekins and you could for sure use 5oz as well, anywhere in this ball park)

Butter and lightly flour the ramekins, tapping out the excess flour and set aside.

Use a double boiler to heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted. If you do not have a double boiler, you can simmer a few cups of water in a saucepan and place a mixing bowl over it.

While that is heating, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together with a whisk or electric beater until light and thick.

Beat melted chocolate and butter together ; it should be quite warm. Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined. Divide batter among the molds.

At this point, you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat for up to several hours; bring them back to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake cakes on a baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes until the sides are all set, but the center is quite soft. Invert molds onto a plate, let sit for 10 seconds, unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold, then lift the entire mold off the cake. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin