Going…
This month my bake-a-long group is making Soft-Centred Chocolate Teacup Cakes (aka Chocolate Lava Cakes) as well as Hot Chocolate Pannacotta from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi cookbook. We’ll be making one item this week, and one item two weeks from now. I decided to make the Lava Cakes today, as I had made a Chocolate Rum Mousse on the weekend and didn’t feel in a pannacotta sort of mood.
Chocolate Lava Cakes, though? I’m always in the mood for that! I’m balancing out my chocolate intake with some fruit, just so I can feel healthy. A kiwi? Super-high in vitamin C, which is what I need right now, as I’m trying not to get the nasty flu-ish cold that the DH has.
So vitamin C for health reasons and chocolate because…chocolate. Chocolate never needs a reason in my books!
…going…
Speaking of books, as I was reviewing the recipe in the cookbook, I noticed that Dorie calls for 3 eggs for the 4 servings of lava cake. Since I decided to only made half the recipe (one serving for dessert for me today and one serving for lunch for me tomorrow), I decided to throw caution to the wind and only use 1 egg as I didn’t want to have half an egg sitting in the fridge (and I didn’t want to fry up a 1/2 egg omelette).
Dorie also calls for 5 oz. of chopped chocolate for the 4 servings. But I got the amounts of my halves and my wholes confused and put in 5 oz. of chocolate for 2 servings. This is why it is a good thing to do your recipe calculations before you start baking! It would also be wise to write down the halved amounts of the ingredients on the actual recipe. Neither of which I did.
I filled my ramekins halfway with the batter, then popped some Belgian white chocolate wafers on top, and poured the remaining batter over that. After baking, and the mandatory cooling off period (if it doesn’t burn my tongue, it’s cool enough!), I took a bite.
…gone.
The verdict? Deeeee-licious! I think the extra egg would have made a better consistency, but it still tasted super-yummy! Also, more chocolate? A stroke of brilliance. *takes a bow* *spoons up more lava cake* *wipes chocolate smears off mouth*
In conclusion, I heart chocolate. <3
Next Post: I go in search of the perfect dinner roll. Easy? Tasty? Fluffy as all get out? Bring it on!
I really liked these as well! The extra chocolate sounds like a great mistake 🙂
Mistake? Brilliant move? Six of one, half a dozen of the other! 😉
After reading your post, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Extra chocolaty lava cakes sound amazing, too!
Thanks, Ryan! Really, is it even possible to go wrong with chocolate?
I was a math major in college, and I still screw my kitchen math up all the time! Oh well, sometimes you luck out and get good mistakes. This looks like it was certainly delicious and extra-chocolatey!
Glad to hear I’m not the only one! And yes, was very good and definitely extra-chocolatey!
I like the precision of baking. Never fails. I’ve found the failings are my own, mostly inattention. Did 1/3 of this recipe or one-egg portion. White chocolate sounds like a wonderful addition and contrast to the dark chocolate.
I don’t think extra chocolate hurts anything! It looks delicious.
Thanks, Zosia!
LOL, I used one egg in one serving – and it was fine. I love the glasses you served your cakes in – so pretty.
Thanks! I think I’ll try more egg next time. But maybe the same amount of chocolate! 🙂
Recipe conversions on the fly often don’t bode well for me either. I try to pencil it in next to the recipe, but sometimes discipline fails me and I get what I get 🙂
Glad it worked out in the end. I will probably try these this weekend.
Glad it’s not just me! And you totally should try them! They’re super-yum!
I can do math just fine but baking math is elusive for me too. A lot of recipes just don’t lend themselves to fractions but I like your way of doing it, more chocolate is absolutely a great thing and it looks yummy too.
Thanks, Summer!
I heart chocolate too. Loved your post. I hope you did not get sick. Take care.
Thanks, Diane! I’m hale and hearty — I credit the chocolate! (The vitamin C maaaay have played a role too.) 🙂