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An example of one of the recipes by Fun and Food in San Francisco.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cakes are so called because the center of the cake is a thick liquid chocolate that oozes out when cut, just like molten lava. These make a great individual dessert and, although pretty simple to make, will definitely impress your guests. Molten Cakes are more chocolate than flour, and that is what makes it rich and gooey. And no, it has nothing to do with Betty Crocker's recipe, just one bite and you'll know why this intense, gooey chocolate sensation is one of the best crowd-pleasers!! It's really easy to make, so go ahead and try it yourself.

The major difference in molten cakes from regular ones is in the way its cooked, as you want the center to be liquid. So the general rule of thumb for individual cakes is to check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake.

Ingredients
6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (I use ghiradelli's 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz butter (diced, at room temperature)
3 eggs
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
butter for greasing ramekins

Method
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 6 small ramekins or muffin tins (use butter for best results, and not cooking spray) and set aside.

Melt the chocolate on low flame in a double boiler or microwave for 1 minute. Stir after 30 seconds, then add the butter and melt it again till smooth and creamy. Remember to stir after every 30 seconds so that it does not scorch or burn and remains smooth.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in the melted chocolate and then the flour mixture.

Take the buttered individual ramekins, and pour in the chocolate batter. Do not fill upto the brim, keep some room to allow it to rise a little. Bake for about 8-10 mins at 350 degrees.

You can even microwave each ramekin for 8-9 mins instead of baking them. If using microwave, make sure you do only one ramekin at a time, and do not cook for more than 10 mins else it will turn hard. Check after 5 mins, if the cake is still not sone, microwave for another 4 mins. Molten cakes are ideal microwave cakes due to the liquid chocolate inside. It keeps them moist and soft.

Baking a Molten Cake
The outside of a molten cake will form a crust like any other cake, but the center should remain a thick liquid. Watch the tops of the cake to see how done they are. Touch the top of the cake with your finger. When done, you should be able to press down slightly on the cake and have it spring back but when you insert a toothpick into the cake, the toothpick should come out with wet batter on it. The trick is to cook the cakes as little as possible for a liquid center yet long enough that a firm cake-like exterior forms that won't fall apart when you take it out of the pan.

Serving Suggestions: Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a paring knife and invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm topped with whipped cream! But I chose to serve these in the cups or ramekins itself; just dust with some confectioner's sugar and they are delicious just like that!

Chocolate lava cakes can also be made ahead of time. Place them in an air tight container and refrigerate until needed. When ready to serve, microwave the cakes for approximately 30 seconds to melt the center again. This is a classic dessert, one of my favorites, and the microwave-recipe makes them really easy to prepare and a treat to the palette and the soul!

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