Chocolate Lava Cakes With Strawberries

My recipe results Food And Wine Photography

Chocolate Lava Cakes With Strawberries

Our granddaughter Charlotte wanted a lava cake for her birthday dessert. I saw this recipe in the May 2009 Food And Wine Magazine and offered to make these for the birthday dinner. The magazine photo is shown with ice cream and fruit. My advice is; the cakes are very rich and the ice cream we served helped to cut the richness but suggest to serve also with fruit. I would suggest having a bowl of fruit to pass for those needing more fruit.

*

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for coating

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for coating

3/4 pound semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Strawberry ice-cream and sliced strawberries for serving

***

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Butter ten 8 ounce ramekins and lightly coat them with sugar. Set the ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.

***

In a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the two sticks of butter and semi-sweet chocolate until smooth, stirring a few times. Set the melted chocolate aside and keep warm; keep the saucepan of water simmering.

***

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs with the 3/4 cup sugar. Set the bowl over the simmering water and stir the egg mixture until it is warmed (not cooked). Remove the bowl from the heat. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until it is double in volume, about 5 minutes. Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Working in two batches, fold in the warm egg mixture.

***

Spoon the batter into the ramekins and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cakes are set around the edges and wobbly in the center. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let the chocolate cakes stand for three minutes.

***

Carefully invert the ramekins onto plates to unmold the chocolate cakes. Top each with strawberry ice cream, spoon the sliced strawberries alongside and serve right away.