Chocolate Fondant (Molten/Lava Cake)

Of late, I’ve been having sudden cravings for all things chocolate. Watching the recent episode of Junior Masterchef Australia just now – contestants had to make and decorate the their chocolate cakes – got me meddling in the kitchen late at night. It was 9.45 p.m when I began melting the chocolate, 10.15 p.m. when I could smell chocolate aromas from the kitchen and now, I sit here writing this blog post at 10.43 p.m. This recipe, I guarantee you is brutally quick and simple to do. Because it isn’t very challenging technically,  it’s a perfect dessert/supper meal you could eventually whip up with your eyes closed. And you might argue that Ame’s bakes more than ‘I’ do, but take a look at Nick from Junior Masterchef Australia who did a similar take on the molten cake! Might I add that he’s only 10?

Weirdly, I’ve never eaten a chocolate fondant before, so prior to this, I’ve never known how the cake was suppose to turn out. What I’ve learnt by  watching the show is that the fondant should have a crispy outer layer, fully cooked compared to the soft runny texture inside the cake. The perfect fondant is said to have the chocolate ooze out once cut. Here, I’m sharing with you an adapted version of Nick’s Chocolate Fondant:

Makes: 4 ramekins

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate

100g unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup brown sugar or icing sugar

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of plain flour

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate and butter using a bain marie. (French equipment and technique of simmering a smaller bowl into a bigger bowl of water for cooking food with gentle heat)

2. Whip the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt until smooth.

3. Fold in melted chocolate into the flour and not the other way round.

To ensure a smooth mixture, make a well in the centre of flour, pour the chocolate and mix it in circles from the centre of the well outwards. Continue adding the chocolate until all the flour is incorporated.

4. Grease the ramekins, fill the cake mixture and bake at 200°C for 12 minutes or until cooked on the outside.

5. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice-cream.

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Tags: Chocolate