Cook Something: Molten Chocolate Cakes

Every once in a while, I'll get a craving for something sweet and chocolatey.  I'll admit, it normally happens after I see someone make a delicious dessert on a cooking show.  This is my problem with Iron Chef.  Every time I watch it I want to go cook something.  What can I say, I'm a strange duck.  I honestly can't remember what made me jump to molten chocolate cake.  It is one of my favorite desserts, but I don't know where I got the idea that I could make it.  Regardless after some quick searching, I found a recipe that looked incredibly simple and very delicious, and I was correct on both accounts.  The best part about this recipe is that it calls for basic pantry items.  The only thing I didn't have on hand was the dark chocolate, but I know some of you are bound to have some stashed in your house.  So after a quick trip to the store and a not so quick detour into Anthro (it's a wonderfully terrible combination that the grocery store closest to my house is also literally next to an Anthro.), I was in business.

Molten Chocolate Cake for 2
Adapted from Diner's Journal (I only made half of the original recipe, because I only  had 2 clean ramekins am master of restraint.)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalter butter, plus more to butter the ramekins
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, I used 60% cacao
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk (save the white and make this delicious sorbet)
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 tsp flour and more for dusting.  I originally planned and would recommend using cocoa powder to dust the ramekins so you don't have white powder on your cakes
• Powdered sugar to top
• 2 four-ounce ramekins

Instructions:

• Preheat over to 450 degrees.
• In a double boiler, heat the butter and the chocolate until the chocolate is completely melted.  Don't have a double boiler?  Me neither.  Simply stick a bowl on top of a pot; just make sure the bottom of the bowl is not in the water.  Otherwise the chocolate could get too hot and burn.

• While the chocolate is melting, add the sugar and egg/egg yolk into a bowl and beat on high until thick but frothy.

• Butter and flour (or cocoa powder) the ramekins, then tap out the excess flour.  
• Pour the batter into the ramekins and bake for 6-7 minutes, until the side have set.  The top should also be set but still shiny.  Invert onto a plate and let sit for 10 seconds.  Pull down one corner and the cake will fall out onto the plate.

• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!

Was too busy shoveling the cake into my mouth Forgot to take a picture of the molten part of my cakes, so here's a picture from the recipe source:

Source: Diner's Journal