Back to the Cutting Board

Molten Chocolate Cakes

adapted from Pam Anderson in an article for USA Weekend

Dessert | Servings: 8 to 12
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 10 min | Total time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tsp. flour

Garnish

• 6 oz. fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Process

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line a standard-size muffin tin (1/2 cup capacity) with 8 extra-large muffin cups or 12 regular sized cups. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat or in a double broiler; remove from heat.
3. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat chocolate into the egg mixture until smooth. Mix in flour until just combined.
4. Divide batter among the muffin cups. Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and peel off the paper.
5. Dust the tops with powdered sugar. Roll slightly moistened raspberries in regular sugar (Note: I’m not sure the sugar rolling is really necessary, especially if you are dusting the cakes with powdered sugar, I’ll probably just use plain raspberries next time) and place on top of each cake (the middle will start to fall in, don’t worry this normal, but this is another reason they are best served right out of the oven as they droop more and more as time goes on). Serve immediately.