Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes

This weeks Food Network Chef’s Challenge hosted by I Blame My Mother is Danny Boome.  I wasn’t very familiar with his show rescue chef, but he had some awesome recipes listed.  I choose the Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes, because they are something I’ve always wanted to try and I’ve had a hankering for chocolate lately.  These little babies did not disappoint.

They were super chocolaty with a moist soft center and the cherries add a wonderful little bit in the middle of all that chocolate.  This recipe is a keeper and it easily could be served to impress guests.  They can be made ahead of time and then popped in the oven right before serving.

Be sure to see what the other participants made, click here.

Ingredients: 1/4 cup brandy or cognac (I used whiskey), 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup dried cherries, 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, 3/4 cup (1 stick plus 1/2 stick) butter, plus some for buttering the baking cups, 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons flour, 6 teaspoons cocoa powder, for coating the baking cups

In a small sauce pan over low heat add your liquor I did have brandy or cognac so I used crown royale

Then pour in orange juice

and dried cherries, simmer for 1 minute and then turn off the heat, let the cherries soak up the mixture until they plump, then drain

Then in a double boiler, I used a medium-sized sauce pan with water, and covered it with a glass bowl, make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl

add 1 and 1/2 stick of butter, turn on medium high heat

while the butter is melting, coarsely chop the chocolate

Then add to the butter

and stir until fully melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly

Next in the mixer add 3 egg yolks and 3 whole eggs

and sugar

Then beat until the mixture turns light and thick

pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs

add the flour and beat until just incorporated, being careful to not over mix

Then butter the ramekins, getting all edges

sprinkle with cocoa powder

and pour chocolate mixture in

then add the drained cherries

and press them to the bottom

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes

Cool slightly and flip out on a plate

and dive right in

The center was ooey gooey chocolaty heaven! Enjoy!

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Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes

Recipe courtesy Danny Boome

Ingredients

1/4 cup brandy or cognac

1/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup dried cherries

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (1 stick plus 1/2 stick) butter, plus some for buttering the baking cups

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons flour

6 teaspoons cocoa powder, for coating the baking cups

Directions

In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the brandy and orange juice to a simmer. Add the cherries, simmer 1 minute and turn off the heat. Soak the cherries in the warm mixture until they plump up, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Set a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place the chocolate and the butter into the bowl and let it sit over the heat until the chocolate begins to melt. Stir to combine and continue to heat until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, beat together the whole eggs, yolks and sugar until the mixture turns light and thick.

Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Beat in the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter.

Butter 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Divide the batter among the ramekins. Drain the cherries and put a few cherries into the center of each ramekin. Use a spoon to push the batter over the cherries to cover them.

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. The outside of the desserts will be set, but the centers will be soft.

To serve, invert each mold on a plate and let sit for 10 seconds. Slowly lift one side of the mold and the cake will fall out. (If the cakes won’t easily come out, just serve them right in the cups.)

DB note: These little desserts are easy to make ahead. Refrigerate them in the baking cups and when you’re ready to bake, bring them up to room temperature and bake as above.