Chocolate Lava Cake or just plain amazing!......

Popular belief is that chocolate is the #1 flavor in the world.... it dominates people's imagination and some have even said it's better than sex, but for those that just plainly love it (that's me!..) a mouth full of lovely, smooth, rich chocolate is about as perfect as it can be. YUM! Don't have it everyday but I can see how a bite of chocolate could make someone's day better simply by "just being there".... yes, exactly.

Chocolate has existed since forever, I've seen it said that as of 1100 BC, although who was around to notice this and report back is beyond me so I'll take their word for it, ok? Enough to say it's been around a long time and enjoyed by many. I'm also proud to say it came from Latin America and Mexico has some darn good chocolate too. Moctezuma was famous for his daily consumption except the guy liked it spiked with chile and on the sour side.... whatever, it's said this was the secret of his being able to keep over 400 wives happy. But in our day, sweet chocolate is the most consumed by far with varying degrees of bitter chocolate bringing up the rear all over the world. Pricey if it's of good quality but worth every penny, right?

Chocolate contains alkaloids which affect the brain and give physiological effects on the body such as lowering blood pressure when eaten in moderation (chocolate doesn't equal moderation in my world....), it has also shown to have links to serotonin levels in the brain ("it's all in your head".....), dark chocolate is known to have a calming effect on your emotions, and scientists have found that chocolate has positive cardio protective effects on the body, it releases endorphins (and we all know what those do...) which is why it's sometimes referred to as a "wicked pleasure"; it builds up resistance and fights fatigue, it contains tryptophan which is a mood-modulator, it also contains another neurotransmitter, "anandamide" that targets the brain in the same way as THC, the ingredients in cannabis, plus it also contains another chemical which helps prolong these effects (pretty cool I say!). We all know that chocolate is good, the trick is to balance the goodness with the calories and fat inherent in it so we can make it a part of our lives forever!.....

Okay, so we know we can derive some positive properties from this decadent, flavorful ingredient- but now let's move on to the good part, eating this lovely little gem. Sure, you can just buy a chocolate bar and eat it, but there's so much more to be done with, from including it in sauces like Mole for instance or desert sauces with fruits or nuts; temper it well so it holds its shape and sheen and turn it into chocolate candies that will please everyone, or one of the most important uses of all is in the art of Baking & Pastry where chocolate shines like almost nothing else.... what better way to close a meal than by having something delectable made from chocolate, heh?

So how about something incredible yet made in a jiffy that's easy, oh so easy to make (makes it dangerous, don't you think?).... Let's see what all the fuss is about....

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE.- Very few ingredients you can have on hand, simple procedure and this can be yours quickly, what more could you ask for..... A lovely chocolate cake that when cut will reward you with an oozing chocolate lava center for added enjoyment.... Ooh la la!.....

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Extra Butter to put inside Ramekins and prevent sticking


Preheat your oven to 350F.  Melt the chocolate over a low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). Once it melts, take it off the heat and stir in the diced butter, let this  melt too.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar, until it starts to lighten up to a light yellow color. Stir in the melted chocolate and then slowly stir in the flour.
Butter 4 individual ramekins, (you could also pour in a teaspoon of sugar and swirl around to cover the inside of the ramekin) and pour in the chocolate batter.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for about 10 minutes.

To serve: Turn the ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.
Note: You can prepare your chocolate lava cake ahead of time, have them ready in the fridge and then bake 10 minutes before serving. When buttering the ramekins, butter the bottoms first, and then the sides, wiping from the bottom to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.

As to the baking time… this depends on how liquid you want your lava to be. If you like it with a super oozing center --  You still want the top to be cooked but the center to be liquid, so check with a toothpick after 8-10 minutes of baking. But if you don't like liquid-center desserts, just cook for a little longer, maybe 5 more minutes and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake you will love. So, choose your favorite.

You can top the cake with whipped cream, sweetened or not, or some Pastry Cream, maybe even ice cream or just some powdered sugar sifted through a fine wire mesh colander.... it really doesn't need anything extra at all.

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In my collection of recipes I found one that I had forgotten about but dug it up when writing this, naturally I tried it as soon as I read it and now I know why I put it away: IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE AROUND!!!!! But I will share it with you but don't blame me if you become addicted to this, ok? (I warned you....)

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE IN A MUG.- Yummy, chocolaty and done in 5 minutes in a microwave, yes, you read this right.... it works too!

Use a large mug, whisk together the ingredients.....

4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar (or you can use all white sugar or vise versa)
1 tbsp white sugar
2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

then add:

1 egg
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp milk
a splash of vanilla extract
a splash of orange extract (optional, other flavorings could be used if you like)
dash of salt

Whisk together thoroughly until well combined.

Chop approx. 2 oz. chocolate. (can be 1 part dark chocolate to 2 parts milk chocolate, or what you have, put on top of the batter without stirring.

Microwave for ONE MINUTE, then stir, microwave 20 or 30 seconds more. Chocolate cake in under 5 minutes. 

Top with whipped cream straight from the can and enjoy!


NOTE: This method could be used to have Chocolate Cake for breakfast, or on break at the office or in the middle of the night when you need it, or..... Now you know why I warned you......


That's all from my side of the fence, hope your side is great and all is ok. Sending everyone my very best, hoping to "see" you sometime soon. Take care! Talk soon.....