Molten Lava Cake, With Gooey Hidden Chocolate Chambord Sauce

Not long ago I got a website forwarded to me - it was for a molten lava cake and was tagged 'hint hint'. I took the hint. Then I ran with it.

These are wonderful! I had seen them - but never imagined the base cake goes together in 20 minutes, and uses five ingredients. FIVE! That's ridiculous - and I love it! These little cakes are incredibly rich - like having warm chocolate pudding surrounded by the loving arms of a tiny pastry. Elegant or casual - all in how you plate it. And better than that....you can play with the flavors all over the place!

The top picture in this article is a standard molten lava cake, dressed up with a little whipped cream and Chambord, and a simple raspberry sauce. It takes to orange as well - with spectacular results. Replace Chambord with Grand Marnier and elevation happens immediately. This is definitely a Bombshell trick. Try it. You'll see.

You'll need:

• 6 ounces chocolate - unsweet or semi-sweet, chopped
  
• 6 Tbl butter, plus 1 Tbl butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  

1. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt together the chocolate and the butter.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
   
3. Meanwhile, butter 4 ramekins with a Tbl of butter. Butter them well - if you don't you're cakes won't come out of the ramekins when they're done and you'll cry.
4. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs well.
   
5. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and stir in the sugar.
6. Temper the eggs (tempering means you slowly raise the temperature of something) by adding a tablespoon of melted chocolate at at time, beating after each addition, until you've added about 1/4 of the chocolate. At that point you can go ahead and add the remainder of the chocolate to the egg mixture. Don't skip this! You'll get scrambled eggs and that's just nasty.
7. Mix in the flour, making sure it's well incorporated. Pour the batter equally into the ramekins.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. The exterior will be set - the edges done. But the interior will be 'molten' - a warm gooey yumminess. Invert each ramekin onto a plate and allow it sit for a couple of minutes - this helps insure that the cake comes out completely, and that the edges can set up a little more. Don't skip this - the cake could squish into a puddle if you do. Not always a bad thing - but not very pretty.

Now - if you want to dress it up -flavorings can be added at the last - if you wish you can use orange or mint extracts, or vanilla. If you have vanilla sugar, use it along with the vanilla bean itself - just add it with the sugar.

Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbl Chambord (for raspberry) or Grand Marnier (for orange)
• 1 Tbl sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and beat until soft peaks form. Serve immediately.

For raspberry sauce:

• 6 oz fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tbl light corn syrup
• 1 Tbl cornstarch

1. Combine raspberries, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer, smashing the raspberries down. Simmer for about five minutes, or until the berries have really disintegrated.
2. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and allow to boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
   
3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula to get as much liquid as possible. It's ready!