The first recipe I ever wrote was for molten chocolate cake and while it never fails to satisfy my sweet cravings, I felt it was time for a twist. I wrote this recipe in time for Valentine’s Day but there are so many red velvet fans out there like myself who need no holiday as an excuse to have a red velvet dessert. These molten cakes give you all the same deliciously decadent goodness of my lava cakes, just red velvet. Red velvet is a slightly lighter flavor, since it contains less chocolate than standard chocolate cakes. I thought these cakes would be ever more exciting with a white chocolate center, which is simply achieved by adding some white chocolate ganache into the center of the batter before you bake the cakes. If you decide not to make the optional white chocolate center, the middles of the cakes will still be molten.

 This recipe makes 6 cakes

 Ingredients:

Optional Center:

3 Oz (85g) White Chocolate, Chopped

3 Tbs (42gor 45 mL) Heavy Cream

1 ½ Cups (173g) Confectioner’s Sugar

3 Large Eggs at Room Temperature

3 Large Egg Yolks at Room Temperature

3 Oz (85g) Semisweet Chocolate

10 Tbs (112g) Unsalted Butter

1 Tbs (17g or 14mL) Red Food Color

½ Tsp (3g) White Vinegar

1 Tsp Vanilla

½ Cup (65g) All Purpose Flour

½ Tsp (3g) Salt 

¼ Tsp (2g) Baking Soda

Confectioner’s Sugar for Dusting

Cooking Spray for the Ramekins

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 425 Degrees F (220 C) and liberally grease 6 ramekins with cooking spray then set aside. 

2.     In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside, then if you’re making the optional center, microwave the heavy cream until simmering, then pour over the chopped white chocolate and allow to sit for one minute. After one minute, gently stir with a whisk until the white chocolate is smooth and melted, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

3.     Melt the semisweet chocolate and butter in the microwave or on the stove until melted and stir to combine, then allow to cool to room temperature. 

4.     In a large bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, eggs and egg yolks and whisk until combined and light, about 1 minute. 

5.     Once the chocolate has cooled, pour the chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the food color, vinegar and vanilla and whisk to combine. 

6.     Pour in the flour mixture and fold in with a spatula until just combined. 

7.     After the white chocolate has firmed up in the refrigerator, take it out and have it ready. Evenly distribute the cake batter into the ramekins, tap the ramekins on the counter to release any air bubbles. 

8.     Use a small (1-inch) cookie scoop or small spoon and scoop balls of the white chocolate and place them in the center of the batter in each ramekin, gently pushing it to submerge it to the center of the batter. 

9.     Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges of the cakes are set and the center is still a little soft. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Then gently run a small sharp knife around the edges of each cake to ensure they aren’t sticking. 

10.  Invert a small plate on top of a ramekin and gently flip it over, keeping the plate firmly against the top of the ramekin. Gently lift the ramekin off the plate and the cake should stay on the plate. This is why it’s important to liberally grease the ramekins. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and enjoy immediately!

-These cakes need to be enjoyed immediately. You can cover tightly with plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but you will need to microwave the cakes for about 15-20 seconds before eating if you want the center to still be molten.