Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients

10 oz (280 g) bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa)
4/5 cup (180 g) butter
8 eggs
1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar
1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).

2. Grease 10 large muffin tins or cups; paper muffin bake cups can also be used.

3. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with butter over hot water.

4. Beat the eggs with sugar and mix with flour.

5. Slowly fold in the melted butter and chocolate.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for only 8-12 minutes; the outer part should be cooked and the inner part liquid.

The Chocolate Lava Cakes may be served hot on its own or with custard, whipped cream, ice cream and / or berries. The Lava Cakes may be dusted with icing sugar. If your Lava Cakes stick to the tin/cup after baking, you should try lining the tins/cups with aluminum foil and grease the lined tins/cups well before use. You can also use paper muffin bake cups.

Variations

1. You may use pudding/souffle cups instead of muffin cups and serve the Lava Cakes in the cups in order to avoid the difficulty of removing the Lava Cakes from the muffin cups.

2. You may add two tablespoons of orange liqueur and finely grated rind of one orange. This gives a delicious orange-chocolate flavor.

3. You may try adding some ground cinnamon and nutmeg or cloves to the chocolate and butter mixture.

4. You may add some mint flavoring.

5. You may add a little coffee essence to mixture.

6. Place moulds in freezer then brush with melted butter to give a thin even coating. Use cocoa powder to "flour" the molds so when you turn out the Lava Cakes there is no white flour marks.

7. Serving suggestion: serve with an orange and star anise ice cream.

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Brownies

Ingredients

1+1/3 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1+½ cup (330 g) sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (170 g) butter
3 fl oz (0.9 dl) boiling water
3 eggs
4 oz (120 g) chocolate chips (40-50% cocoa)
5 oz (150 g) chopped walnuts or pecan nuts

Frosting

1/3 cup (75 g) butter
8 oz (220 g) sweet or semisweet dark chocolate
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoon hot espresso or very strong coffee

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).

2. Line a 13 x 9 in (33 x 23 cm) cake tin with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan.

4. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.

5. Add eggs, melted butter and hot water and mix until smooth.

6. Add chocolate chips and nuts.

7. Bake at 350 degrees F until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 20-30 minutes.

8. Cool the cake. Glace with the chocolate frosting.

9. For the frosting, mix butter, chopped chocolate, syrup and coffee and heat in a double boiler until melted. Stir until smooth and spread over the cake.


Variations

1. For these brownies you may instead use frosting with cocoa powder.

2. You may add 1 tablespoon of espresso mix to brownie batter and use only semi-sweet ghiradelli chocolate chips and baking chocolate for the best result.

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Black Forest Cake

A moist, dark chocolate cake filled with cherries and whipped cream, and garnished with chocolate curls. This very popular and well-known cake originates from Germany.


Ingredients

½ cup (110 g) butter, softened
1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar
2 eggs
1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk

Ingredients for filling

¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional
2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries
3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).

2. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy.

4. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.

5. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth.

6. Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!

7. When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.


Filling

1. Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.

2. Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.

3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.

Assembling

1. Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.

2. Place one cake layer on a serving plate.

3. Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.

4. Add the second cake layer.

5. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.

6. Add the third cake layer.

7. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.


Variations

1. You may substitute the cherry pie filling with cherry jam. In that case spread first the jam on the cake layers, then whipped cream on top.

2. You may use three cake tins instead of one. In that case the baking time must be shortened.

3. If cake flour is used, the cake comes out much fluffier

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