I’ve always been hesitant about taking on “ambitious desserts”. Baking has never been my thing and always took a back seat to other recipes. I needed to up my desert game. So, I started with one of my favorites, molten lava cake. As a ‘non-baker’, this was a bit daunting at first. As I tried a few different recipes and techniques, it got better. And as I experimented with healthier, gluten-free recipes, I developed this Molten Lava Cake & Raspberry Sauce that is both healthier and delicious!
While tinkering with this recipe, I was trying to figure out a really great pairing. I learned pretty quickly that the wine and chocolate need to be balanced in terms of sweetness and intensity. After a ton of taste testing, I decided on a medium-bodied Pinot Noir from California with some ripe fruit flavors. This paired nicely and balanced the tannins in the dark chocolate I used for the cake. To learn more about California Pinot Noir, check out my Pinot Noir pairing page.
Molten Lava Cake & Raspberry Sauce
February 11, 2021
: 4
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 6 oz. good quality chocolate (I use 70-80%)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
- ¼ cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- 1 carton fresh raspberries (6oz)
- Zest and juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon water
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 425
- Step 2 Use 1 tablespoon butter to lightly grease 4 ramekins. Dust each ramekin with ½ teaspoon cocoa powder. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and set them aside.
- Step 3 In a double boiler over simmering water (about an inch of water), melt one stick of butter with the 6 oz. of chocolate. Whisk until just combined and remove from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla and coffee and set aside.
- Step 4 With a mixer, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt for approximately 2-3 minutes until the mixture is thickened. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Then lightly fold in the flour until just combined.
- Step 5 Spoon half the mixture into the ramekins. Add a ½ tablespoon of the chocolate chips to each ramekin. Spoon the remaining batter over the chocolate chips.
- Step 6 Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the side of the cake is firm, but the center is soft. Be careful not to overbake or you will lose the “molten” part of the cake.
- Step 7 While the cakes are baking, make the raspberry sauce by combining the berries, honey, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in a small saute pan. Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 5-7 minutes to break down the berries and thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat and finish with fresh lemon zest. Set aside.
- Step 8 When the cakes are done baking, set on a wire rack to cool for about 1-2 minutes. To serve, place a small dessert plate over each ramekin and carefully turn each one over. Spoon the raspberry sauce over the cake and finish with fresh whipped cream or vanilla gelato. Enjoy!
