From the outside, this dessert seems inconspicuous at first: a simple chocolate cake without much fanfare. What makes the cake so irresistible, however, is its interior: a liquid, melt-in-the-mouth center made of the finest chocolate that oozes out like lava as soon as a spoon or cake fork has penetrated the surface of the pastry. A chocolate lava cake is something special, and the moment when the still lukewarm chocolate melts in your mouth is an experience in itself.
The origin of the chocolate lava cake lies in France. No wonder, after all, the French are known worldwide for their desserts. Creme brûlée, macarons and crepes are very popular, and the “Petit Gâteau” can also simply be described as “superbe”. The original production of the chocolate cake is an art in itself and requires a lot of sensitivity. All the better that the slimmed-down version can be prepared in no time with just five ingredients. Once you’re hungry for chocolate, you want to eat it as quickly as possible.
When preparing the quick chocolate lava cake, a few important manufacturing steps must be taken into account, which in the end result in a stable cake with a liquid interior. The baking fun starts off easy. Dark chocolate – the cocoa content here should be at least 60 percent, but the following applies: the higher, the more intense – is melted with butter in a hot water bath. The subsequent cooling of the mixture prevents the dough from clumping when mixed together later. Mixed with flour, eggs and sugar, the basis of the later chocolate dream is formed.
The key to perfect chocolate cake happiness lies in the butter, or rather in properly greasing the muffin tins. This is the only way to prevent the cake from collapsing when it is later removed from the mold.
The choice of shape can also have a big impact. Flexible silicone molds are best suited, as they help the cakes turn over and prevent the crust from being damaged. The correct baking time is also extremely important, after all, the core should remain liquid while the dough has a firm crust. Here the time varies depending on the oven. It’s best to test the consistency after about eight minutes by gently touching the top of a cake. It should feel like you can break through it and no longer have a greasy shine. If it is rather sticky, you should allow the cake to remain in the oven for another two minutes.
Allow the pastry pieces to cool for about two minutes before turning out so that the crust can solidify a little. Carefully remove the cakes evenly from the mold. It can be helpful to loosen the edge of the mold a little and then let the cake slide into the palm of your hand. Voilà, the pastry is ready to eat. It is best to serve the chocolate lava cake immediately so that the center does not solidify. The chocolate dream tastes particularly good with vanilla ice cream or fresh berries. Bon appetit.
