Best Soft Centered Warm Chocolate Cakes Recipes

JEAN-GEORGES'S WARM SOFT CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds, ramekins, or custard cups. Tap out excess flour; butter and flour them again, and set aside.
• In the top of a double boiler or heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine butter and chocolate; heat until chocolate has almost completely melted.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together eggs, yolks, and sugar until light and thick.
• Add melted chocolate mixture, and beat to combine. Quickly beat in flour until just combined. Divide batter evenly among the molds.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place filled molds on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until the sides have set but the centers remain soft, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Invert each mold onto a plate, and let rest 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately.

WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a double boiler, heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted. While heating up, beat together all the eggs, yolks, and sugar with a whisk or electric mixer until light and thick.
• Beat together the melted chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Pour in the egg mixture, and then quickly beat in the flour just until combined.
• Butter and lightly coat 8 (4-ounce) ramekins with ground gingerbread. Tap the excess gingerbread off and then butter and gingerbread them again. Divide batter among the molds.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Bake the molds on a sheet tray for 6 to 7 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set. Then you know it is ready. Let rest for 10 seconds and then serve with whip cream.

SOFT-CENTERED WARM CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Butter 8 1-cup/250-ml. ramekins. Freeze them for 5 minutes, and then butter them again. Finally sprinkle them with flour, discarding the excess. Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside to cool.
• In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until thick and light, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the flour. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar to form a light, stiff meringue, about 2 minutes. Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Fill the ramekins to the rim, smooth the top with a spatula, and run your thumb around the edge to detach the mixture from the sides. Cover and refrigerate the cakes for 8 hours or overnight.
• To bake the cakes, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Set the cakes on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and set on the surface but still liquid in the center, 8 to 9 minutes. Take them out and let them cool for about 10 minutes so they shrink back into the molds. Run a knife around the edge and turn the cakes onto warmed individual plates. Top with a spoonful of ice cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream, and serve at once.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter in a medium bowl and melt it in the microwave. Add the chocolate to the hot butter and stir until melted.
• Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, and add 2 more yolks (discard the extra whites). Add the sugar, and beat or whisk until light and thick, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and 2 teaspoons flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.
• Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds or ramekins (make sure not to miss any spots, or the cakes will stick). Tap out the excess flour. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate them for up to 3 hours; just bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
• When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 450. Put the molds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still jiggle slightly when shaken, 7 to 9 minutes (better underbaked than overbaked). Let sit for 1 minute.
• Put a plate on top of the ramekin and (with a potholder to protect your hand) carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then lift up the ramekin. Serve immediately, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH LIQUID CENTERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Butter and flour four 4 ounce ramekins or custard cups.
• In the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and the chocolate until chocolate is almost completely melted.
• Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until light colored and thick.
• Beat together the melted chocolate and butter. While beating, slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour and mix until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the four molds and bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 6 to 7 minutes. The centers of the cakes will still be quite soft. Invert cakes on serving plates and let sit for about 15 seconds, then unmold. Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream, if desired.

WARM CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds, ramekins, or custard cups. Tap out excess flour; set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over simmering water, and heat until the chocolate has almost completely melted. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, yolks, and sugar until light and thick.
• Beat in flour until just combined. Stir together the warm melted chocolate and butter. Pour chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Divide batter evenly among the molds.
• Bake the molds on a baking sheet for 7 to 8 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set. Immediately invert each mold onto a plate, and let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one side of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately with whipped cream, if desired.

EASY CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter 6 dariole moulds or basins well and place on a baking tray.
• Put 100g butter and 100g chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of hot water (or alternatively put in the microwave and melt in 30 second bursts on a low setting) and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly for 15 mins.
• Using an electric hand whisk, mix in 150g light brown soft sugar, then 3 large eggs, one at a time, followed by ½ tsp vanilla extract and finally 50g plain flour. Divide the mixture among the darioles or basins.
• You can now either put the mixture in the fridge, or freezer until you're ready to bake them. Can be cooked straight from frozen for 16 mins, or bake now for 10-12 mins until the tops are firm to the touch but the middles still feel squidgy.
• Carefully run a knife around the edge of each pudding, then turn out onto serving plates and serve with single cream.