Dessert menus at many great restaurants feature chocolate molten cake. It looks fancy, feels fancy, and one spoon dive into the center leaves you in a delightful chocolate-induced coma. That’s why most of us will split a cake with somebody else (unless I’m eating breakfast, and it’s my birthday—I’m turning 30 this month you guys!). How do they get the center so ooey and gooey?
Even if you are a novice baker and your award-winning dessert has been boxed Duncan Hines brownies, you’ll find this recipe unexpectedly simple. Round out a homemade Valentine’s dinner with these cute little heart-shaped cakes (and last week’s recipe for Sparkling Passion Fruit Rosé—a knockout combo). The best part is that this recipe makes 6+ cakes, which freeze perfectly. . . but you might not have anything left to freeze.
Watch full recipe video here:
Food La La Recipe: Heart Molten Cakes
Serves: 6+
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped (I used 72%)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks
1 cup sifted powdered sugar (WHY? #1)
1 small pinch salt
¾ cup flour
Optional garnishes: berries, mint leaf, powdered sugar, whipped cream, ice cream
Steps:
Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spray the inside of a silicone heart-shaped muffin mold (you can also use a regular muffin tin for circle-shaped cakes).
In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, butter, and salt.
Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until melted.
Remove from heat and cool slightly. (WHY? #2)
Stir in eggs, egg yolks, powdered sugar, and flour.
Mix by hand until blended (if the mixture gets stiff before it’s completely mixed, return to burner to gently warm).
Spoon batter into heart molds, dividing equally (if you have excess, put into regular muffin tins).
Bake for 8-10 minutes until sides are set, but centers are soft (if you insert a pin in the center of the cake, it should come out with a little bit of batter on it—if it comes out clean, it’s slightly over baked).
Remove from oven. Let cool completely. Put a pan on top of the cakes, and flip over to invert and remove them from mold.
Garnish with sifted powdered sugar, a few raspberries and a mint leaf (You can also serve with vanilla ice cream, dash of cinnamon or whipped cream)
Psst! Some recipe notes:
WHY? #1: If you don’t sift the powdered sugar in advance, the clumps will stick together in the batter and will be very difficult to break apart, resulting in lumpy cakes.
WHY? #2: Because the batter is warm, it can cook the eggs once they’re added. By cooling the batter slightly first, then mixing the eggs in one by one, we can incorporate the eggs evenly throughout the batter without the risk of cooking them prematurely.
*Note: To freeze molten cakes, let cool completely, then wrap tightly in foil and put in airtight container.
*Note: I found this heart shaped mold on Amazon, but around Valentine’s Day lots of craft/hobby stores will carry them (try Target or JoAnn’s).
