Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Total Time: 38 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate (at least 72%)
• 11 tablespoons softened butter (plus more for greasing molds)
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• powdered sugar (for dusting tops)

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 425*f.
• 2 set up a double boiler (a saucepan filled half way with water and a larger metal bowl or glass bowl that snugly fits on top of the saucepan. be sure water is not touching the bottom of the bowl). heat the water to a simmer. place the butter and bittersweet chocolate in the metal or glass bowl. melt the butter and chocolate. stir continuously to combine and set aside to cool a bit.
• 3 with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar to ribbon stage (you can do this by hand too with a wire whisk). slowly add the chocolate and butter mixture to the egg mixture and combine.
• 4 add the cake flour and combine.
• 5 pour into 8 well greased 4 oz tins that have a smaller bottom than the top rim. (use and smear soft butter, all over the bottom and sides. it is very important to make sure that all areas are covered completely with butter). fill to just below the rim. it is recommended to chill them at least 1 hour if planning to make them immediately. (but at this point, you can put the tins in the fridge for a week before baking).
• 6 bake in a 425*f degree oven for 8 minutes +/-, checking to see if the outer edge has set (and has risen a little bit above the rim) and the middle is still squishy. you do not want to over bake these cakes.
• 7 let the cakes set up for about 2 minutes and then un-mold onto a plate. be careful not to rip the outer cake when turning over and placing on plates. sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. serve immediately with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or serve plain. yum!