So my mom wanted a flourless chocolate cake for her birthday this year, which is fine, and I’ve made two of them and have like 25 more recipes for variations on that theme (some with liqueurs, some with fruit topping, etc). But when it came down to it I wanted to do something different. And then I found this recipe.

This recipe is for individual chocolate lava cakes, but I didn’t fill them with the chocolate, I topped them with it instead. Basically because I felt like it. So instead of chilling it and letting it harden, I just left it on top of the stove, off heat, and stirred it occasionally while the cakes were cooking to keep it warm and soft. Then when the cakes were out of the oven, I let them sit 5 minutes, put them on plates and spooned some chocolate on top of them. But I’m writing up the recipe as it was originally written, so you can decide what you’d like to do with yours. I also topped them with strawberries and whipped cream, but that’s up to you too. Any kind of berry you want would suffice.

This is an extremely delicious, really easy recipe that you can make in no time at all and that looks very impressive when plated. If you don’t have ramekins or custard cups, muffin tins work too. They’ll be a bit smaller, but otherwise fine. Just make sure you really grease the tins up good, then when you take them out just flip ‘em upside down. And if you use muffin tins and your cakes rise too high, you can slice off the “tops” (really the bottoms) and make them even, then use those pieces crumbled up on top of vanilla ice cream later on. It’s a win-win situation.

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES

Ingredients:

Chocolate centers:

• 2 ounces 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate baking bar
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Chocolate cake:

• 4 ounces 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate baking bar*
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup cake flour
• Berries, whipped cream & confectioners sugar for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. To make the chocolate centers, melt 2 ounces chocolate baking bar and heavy cream in a double boiler. Whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Roll into 6 equal balls, refrigerate until needed.
2. To make cake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray 6 ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray. Melt 4 ounces chocolate in double boiler with ½ cup butter, whisk gently to blend.
3. Place egg yolks, eggs, sugar and vanilla in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip attachment to mixer. Mix about 5 minutes or until thick and light.
4. Fold melted chocolate and flour into egg mixture by hand until just combined. Divide among prepared ramekins. Place one chocolate ball in the center of each. Bake about 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Let sit out of the oven for 5 minutes.
5. Run a small, sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a plate on top, invert and remove ramekin.Garnish with berries, confectioners sugar and whipped cream, if desired.

*You can substitute cocoa powder if necessary- in the cake ONLY, just use 3 tablespoons per ounce needed.

Happy birthday to my mom- without whom there would be no Cupcake Rehab, because there would be no me! Love you, mom! Technically, her birthday is tomorrow, July 5th, but when you’re presenting someone with many little chocolate cakes you can say happy birthday whenever you want.

Me & my mom, 27 years or so ago… wonder where I got my latest hair inspiration from?

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…And also a happy (belated) birthday to my girl Sami who turned 25 yesterday!

Finally, to all you who are also in the U.S., I wish you all a safe and Happy 4th of July.