When the girls were running the catchthegivingbug charity club in high school, I used to make dozens and dozens of these lava cakes for their bake sale to raise funds for Plan USA. We sold them at $3 a piece (standard muffin size), and they were snatched up in no time by hungry high-school students.

Looking back, those were crazy and fun times. It’s one of those few occasions that I participated in the girls’ activities in school. So proud that the funds we raised were channeled into a good cause. We chose ‘Because I am a Girl’ as the fund we donate to, so that girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide, and thrive. While we no longer do bake sale anymore, we continue to support ‘Because I am a Girl’ yearly.

Now back to these little chocolate bombs. They are ok for teenagers who can burn off the calories in no time. Since the girl graduated from high school, I have stopped making them. Ashley just told me to make lava cakes when her friends visit us in the Spring. I have to dust off my recipe and start practicing again. Molten and lava-y indeed when you get the timing right. They are rich and the ultimate of chocolate decadence! So just indulge a little and don’t eat too much or too often 😊.

Ingredients

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips/chunks. I use Ghirardelli or Schafenburger
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks
• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter + more for buttering the ramekins
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs + 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• raspberries for garnish
• mint leaves for garnish
• vanilla ice cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Grease 6 small ramekins generously with butter and coat with cacao powder. Alternatively, line a muffin pan with paper muffin cups. We use muffin pans when we were making them for bake sale.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a double boiler. Blend well with a spatula.
4. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into the melted chocolate. Fold until well combined.
5. Add the eggs and egg yolks. Stir until a smooth batter forms.
6. Divide the batter into the ramekins or muffin cups.
7. Bake for 12-13 minutes until the edges of the cake is fully baked but the center looks soft and moist. Note, if baking in muffin pan, about 10 -12 minutes in the oven is sufficient.
8. Remove from oven and let it cool for a minute.
9. Run a small knife around the edges of the cake.
10. Invert the ramekins onto a dessert plate. The cake should come off cleanly.
11. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.
12. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
13. When you cut into the center of the cake, you should get lava flowing out if you did not overcook the cakes.