Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Decadent chocolate molten lava cakes have a fudgy cake outside that is delicious enough on its own. But the real celebration starts when you cut into the center. A gooey chocolate sauce flows out from the center like lava. This showstopping dessert is a classic on restaurant menus. However, it is so easy to make at home. 

The Difference Between Dark, Bittersweet, Semisweet and Milk Chocolate

So here is a quick primer on three different categories of chocolate used in baking. Chocolate is made by grinding up and then heating the cocoa beans until it forms a liquid. Then adding other ingredients to produce the type of chocolate desired. Baking chocolate is classified by the percentage of cacao (both cocoa solids and cocoa butter) in relation to other ingredients. Good quality chocolate companies will not only list the percentage of cacao as required by federal regulations but will also include further breakdowns on the label of both milk and fat. It always pays to study and understand the label on food products. Different countries may have different regulations as to the percentage of cocoa in each classification. 

Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate has to contain at least 70% cacao. This produces chocolate that is sharp and intense with only a touch of sweetness. The dark chocolate general has no milk products added.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Bittersweet Chocolate is a step down in sharpness from dark chocolate. It usually tops out at 70% cacao but may have milk products added, which differentiates it from dark chocolate.

Semisweet Chocolate

Semisweet Chocolate has 60% cacao and while can be found in bar or block form, is most commonly found as chocolate chips. As you can see with the decrease of cacao there is more room for sugar and milk ingredients which makes sweeter and less intense chocolate.

Milk Chocolate

Milk Chocolate must have at least 10% cacao in the US, (20% in Europe). This makes milk chocolate less expensive to manufacture than categories of chocolate with higher cacao percentages. But that doesn’t mean it is inferior, a majority of customers say that milk chocolate is their favorite type of chocolate. And high-quality chocolatiers will list what is included in the product.

Now you have the quick guide to chocolate classifications, it is important to note the difference between the bar or block chocolate and chocolate chips. When you bake a cookie with chips in it, the chips hold their shape. This is on purpose since stabilizers are added for that purpose. While chocolate chips make a wonderful cookie, I don’t recommend melting them for chocolate molten lava cake. You want to choose a block of baking chocolate that is designed to melt into pure chocolate goodness.

Tips For Preparing Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

The scariest part about serving this show-stopping dessert is flipping the hot ramekin upside down on the dessert plate and hoping that the cake comes out in one piece. Fear not, there are some tricks to accomplish this feat, but even if some of the cake sticks to the pan, the desert is some wonderful that it makes up for any un-molding mishaps.

• Use the proper size ramekin. Six-ounce ramekins produce a cake that is just right, not too thin as to ruin the molten center and not too thick as to make it difficult to release from the dish. Some recipes suggest using a muffin tin to cook this dish, but I have no confidence in being able to un-mold all the desserts at the same time onto individual plates.
• Liberally grease the ramekins. This is obvious, but can’t be said enough. I usually spray each dish and then check that I got all the way around and up the sides. Doing a second touch up spray as needed.
• After greasing the ramekins, dust the bottom and sides with cocoa powder. This is a classic baking trick that usually uses flour. But since this is a rich chocolate dessert, cocoa powder works the same way without leaving any white streaks on the finished desert. 
• Cook with high temperature 425° F to firm the sides of the cake, but a short amount of time to keep the center liquid. In my oven, 12 minutes is the sweet spot. The center of each ramekin is slightly dimpled and jiggles. Remember you will let them cool slightly after removing from the oven and that little time is all these cakes need.
• If you haven’t garnished the plate with creme Anglaise and raspberry sauce, you an simply invert a plate over the ramekin and flip the two over to unmold the cake.
• Don’t let the chocolate molten lava cakes rest too long, as that can cause the cakes to stick to the ramekins. Have the dessert plates ready and waiting as you remove the hot tray from the oven so it is easy to start turning the ramekins out onto the plates after just 1-2 minutes.

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