Chocolate Lava Cake

It’s Friday. You’ve had your schnitty, maybe a beer or two… now it’s time for dessert.

And nothing beats a proper chocolate lava cake — crisp on the outside, molten in the middle. The trick isn’t fancy ingredients… it’s timing. Get it right, and this is one of the best desserts you’ll ever pull off at home.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 200g unsalted butter, diced

• 100g dark chocolate

• 100g milk chocolate

• 4 large eggs

• 4 large egg yolks

• 200g caster sugar

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 100g plain flour, sifted

• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

1. Prep the moulds
   Grease 8 x 200ml ramekins (or dariole moulds, or a similar sized muffin pan). Make sure they’re fully coated, then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven
   180°C fan (200°C conventional).

3. Brown the butter
   Add butter to a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Cook until melted and the milk solids turn golden brown and nutty.

4. Melt the chocolate
   Take off the heat, add both chocolates, and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until smooth.

5. Whisk eggs and sugar
   In a bowl, whisk whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth and slightly thickened.

6. Combine
   Pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs and fold through gently.

7. Add flour
   Sift in the flour and fold until just combined — don’t overmix.

8. Fill moulds
   Divide the batter evenly, filling each mould about two-thirds full.

9. Bake
   Bake on the middle shelf for 11 minutes exactly.

10. Turn out and serve
    Rest for 1 minute, then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Notes

• You can prep these ahead and keep them in the fridge overnight. Just bring to room temp for 1 hour before baking.

• The bake time is everything — even 1 minute too long and you’ll lose the centre.

• Bake in batches until you work out how your oven works! There’s nothing worse than under or overcooking the whole batch!

To serve

Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream… and maybe another drink.