Molten Lava Cakes

molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial

I love these little babies.

Surprisingly, this has been the first time I’ve ever made them myself.

 

While preparing these Chocolate Lava Cakes I learned that they are super-fun to make.

They are also surprising. That is what you find out when you dig into them.

And, with the generous amount of chocolate they contain, I’m sure they are just super seductive.

That all makes them the perfect dessert choice for Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?

 

Now, let me invite you to my kitchen and show you how I prepared my version of these adorable sweet cakes…
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, ingredients

Here’s what we need.

Couldn’t be simpler.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, preheat the oven to 400 F - 200 C, butter 4 ramekins, 6-ounce - 180 ml ramekins

1. First, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).

 

2. Butter 4 ramekins.

I’ve used 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins.

 

3. Then dust the ramekins with some confectioners’ sugar.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, eggs, sugar, coffee, and salt

4. Now we need the eggs, sugar, coffee, and salt.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, eggs, sugar, coffee, salt in a bowl

5. Throw them all into one bowl and mix them for about 2 minutes.

6. Break the chocolate into pieces. Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, microwave on high in 20-seconds increments, stirring after each, until melted, let cool slightly

7. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.

Let cool slightly.

And be strong!
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, add the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisk to combine

8. Add the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.

9. Then add the flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix).
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, pour the batter into prepared ramekins

10. Pour the batter into prepared ramekins.

I only have two, so I had to bake in two batches.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, place the ramekins on a baking sheet

11. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial, bake for about 11 minutes

12. And bake for about 11 minutes.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial

13. These babies were baked for about 14 minutes.

Too long.

 

molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial

Although nice and tasty, they weren’t that ‘molten’ in the center.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial

I baked the second batch for only 10 minutes.

That was much better.

I really like the moist center.
molten lava cakes recipe with step by step picture tutorial

Aah, I love this game.

 

But, if I had another chance, which I think I am going to give myself soon, I’d try baking these for exactly 11 minutes.

11 minutes would make them absolutely perfect.

 

Enjoy, dear friends!

 

(This recipe makes 4 cakes and was loosely based on Molten Mocha Cakes from www.delish.com.)

 

 

Lemon Delight

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

I know how it is.

Recently you’ve been craving something yummy but you just didn’t know precisely what it was.

And I am here to tell you exactly what it is.

That’s my purpose on this planet, actually.

What you’ve been craving recently is this wonderful, delicious, scrumptious and luscious lemon delicacy.

Call me a witch if you want to…but I just know it.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

These are the ingredients that you’ll need if mere looking at these pictures isn’t enough for you.

This treat isn’t just wonderful in taste, it is also very interesting in structure – which only adds to its WOW factor.

Since half of it is baked and the other half is cooked you get two surprises in one dish.

Isn’t that amazing?

Come and have a look, I’ll show you what I mean.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

1. To prepare you own Lemon Delight first place the softened butter and the sugar (1/2 cup – 100 grams) into a medium bowl.
2. Mix it with your hand mixer until light and fluffy.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

3. Add three egg yolks…

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

4. …and mix again until smooth.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

5. Add the flour and the baking powder and give it another mix, just until combined and well incorporated.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

Very yellow, ha?

It might have something to do with the fact that I am using home eggs here – fresh from my Grandma.

They are so much richer in color.

Thanks, Grandma!

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

6. Then grab a lemon and juice it – any way you like.

If you are a Xena woman like me, you can squeeze it with your bare hand (okay, I am not that much of a Xena woman, I just don’t have the juicer here with me). That might actually be the reason why I am not showing the picture of me squeezing the lemon (oh, that was a stormy fight). But what I am showing here is a little trick that helps a lot…if you’d like to make things easier then just roll the lemon on the countertop (before you slice it). It will help to break down some of the fibers and the juice will flow more freely when you cut it.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

7. Then, when the fight is over, pour the milk and the lemon juice into the batter and stir to combine.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

8. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

9. Add the egg whites to the batter and, using a rubber spatula, fold together gently.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

10. Spray you ramekins with some vegetable oil and fill them with the batter.

Since I used 1 cup (250 ml) dishes, there was just enough batter to fill three.
11. Place the ramekins into a deeper baking pan and gently pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of  the ramekins.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

12. Bake at 356 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Remove from the oven and dust the top with some confectioner’s sugar.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

So now you know what I meant when I said that half of this dessert is baked and the other half is cooked.

You’ll be amazed by how this process results in the dessert’s structure – the top half looks like a cake and the bottom half has a structure of custard.

It’s cute.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

Yum!

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

Okay, it seems that I am done here.

And now only tomatoes for me for the next seven days.

lemon delight, lemon souffle recipe with step-by-step images

Enjoy, dear friends!

(This recipe makes 3 portions if prepared in 1 cup – 250 ml dishes.)

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