Enjoy a personal chocolate cake that comes with a built-in sauce, that can be whipped up and on the table in less than an hour. And made with pantry staples. And is ideal for a special date night at home (this is a rich, once-in-a-while treat, though feel free stretch each cake to 2 servings if you happen to have four people around to eat them!).
Ingredients:
– 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing the molds
– Cocoa powder, for dusting (natural or Dutch process)
– 2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
– 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
– 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
– 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Directions:
Step 1
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
Generously butter and dust two 4-ounce molds, custard cups or ramekins with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
Step 2
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan with a few inches of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted. (Alternately, you may heat them together in a microwave, starting with 1 minute on HIGH, then stirring, and finishing in short bursts on 50 percent power as needed until almost melted. Stir together until thoroughly combined.) Remove the bowl from the pan.
Step 3
While the chocolate and butter are melting, in a medium bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer on medium-high, beat together the egg, yolk and sugar until light, thick and pale yellow.
Step 4
Finish stirring together the chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour by hand, just until combined.
Step 5
Divide the batter between the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts for up to several hours. Bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
Step 6
Transfer the molds to a baking sheet to make them easy to move in and out of the oven (and contain any possible overflow). Bake for 7 to 10 minutes — the longer you bake, the less “sauce” there will be. The center will still be quite soft and slightly dipped, but the sides will be set. Let rest for about a minute.
Step 7
Place an overturned plate on top of the mold and, holding onto the mold in one hand with a potholder, mitt or dish towel, invert the plate and the mold. (If you have a lightweight pot rest or trivet, you can set the ramekin on top of that and use it to help you invert as well.) Let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one side of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. It’s okay if you have to tap or gently shake the ramekin to nudge it out. Serve immediately.
Adapted from “Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef,” by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. As published in The Washington Post.