My kids walked into the living room just as America’s Test Kitchen was talking about volcano cakes. (They are called this because the interiors are “molten.”) “Huh?” The next thing I know, my youngest is doing some kind of gymnastics maneuver on the couch to my right while the oldest would occasionally tell me to pause the show so she could write down the ingredients we needed to get the store. Now. I was on the hook for making them.
Volcano cakes are a flourless chocolate cake (similar to the brownies), where the interior is raw. The ATK folks served it with espresso-laced coffee ice cream, inappropriate for small kids before bedtime.
Volcano cakes – From America’s Test Kitchen
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate — Trader Joe’s sells a nice 70% bittersweet chocolate bar.
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
10 T butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 1/2C sugar
2 t corn starch
4 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
- Chop the chocolate into coarse chunks. This is to help it melt, so uniformity isn’t important.
- In a double boiler (or a thick saucepan over low heat), melt the chocolates and butter.
- Butter the interior of the ramekins. Pour some granulated sugar and roll around the interior.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and corn starch.
- Add the melted chocolate, butter mixture to the sugar. Mix in the eggs.
- Fill the ramekins about 3/4.
- Bake at 375F for 16-20 minutes. The time will greatly depend upon several factors including your oven’s temperature and ramekin size. The 5 ounce ramekins were cooked perfectly after 16 minutes. The 7-ounce ones needed 18. You can sorta tell by looking at the top center.
- Serve with ice cream of your choice.