Molten Chocolate Cakes

Here is a dessert I recently made. This is a molten chocolate cake, a fancy restaurant-style dessert that is actually quite simple to do and impressive to serve. Basically, a ramekin-full of chocolaty-goodness. The idea of molten chocolate cakes is a warm dish that must be served within minutes of baking, with a smooth, satiny center. Molten chocolate cakes must be made with real butter, fresh eggs, and good-quality chocolate, usually dark or bittersweet. There is a wide variety of different types of molten chocolate cakes out there. Most molten cakes are individual-sized, and usually baked in ramekins but may also be baked in muffin cups. Although molten chocolate cakes are the classic original, there are many other different flavors around too. Some do have chocolate  such as double chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate cherry, chocolate mint, chocolate peanut butter etc. But there are also vanilla molten cakes, or fruit molten cakes or butterscotch molten cakes. All are good, and take the same basic idea.

Most of the time, molten chocolate cakes are tipped out of the (well-greased) ramekins and served, split open, on a plate with a spoon. I chose instead just to serve them in their original ramekins, which was easier, but could still be nicely presented. This way, there is no need to worry about the cakes breaking, collapsing, or coming out in pieces. They stay warmer, are easier to eat and less messy, and can be served immediately after baking. I served them on a plate, as the ramekins were still very hot. I added a spoon, then used a stencil to sprinkle icing sugar on top in the shape of a star. I added a small chocolate heart truffle on the side as well. Molten chocolate cakes go well with ice cream, whipped cream, icing sugar, or fruit. Or nothing at all, they are plenty rich on their own. 

This is a last minute dessert in the sense that they need to be baked just before serving, however, the batter may be prepared ahead and refrigerated fro up to a day, just be sure to bring to room temperature before serving. And if there happens to be any extra after baking, refrigerate it for later. They are quite good cold, but also good if gently reheated.